Jak 3point5 and then Some
by Boss Dumpling
Summary: PostJak 3, this extends into Jak X with my own tweeks and twists. Jak's fighting the encouragement to rule Haven City and Keira's gone missing. It's up to Jak to win the Kras City race and to find Keira. And so the beat goes on...JxK DxT TxA OCxR.
1. The Prologue

Disclaimer: I do not own the Jak series, nor do I own Naughty Dog, Inc. I do hope that Naughty Dog will own me some day… 3 But yeah, I don't own these things, so don't sue me, bihatches! D

The Prologue

A year had passed since the defeat of Cyber Errol and the destruction of the Dark makers. Jak was finally revealed to be the son of Damas, a great warrior and former ruler of Haven City, thus securing Jak as Mar, the missing heir. With his heroic acts and true identity unveiled, he earned the trust and respect of the Havenites, the people of Haven City, and was earnestly encouraged to be placed on his father's throne. Jak remained reluctantly to such a responsibility and left the guidance of the city under Ashelin; Jak led the Restoration Project for the city. With the help of his friends and the Precursors, Jak proceeded with ridding the city of Metal Heads, rebuilding the city, and beginning the first stages of reinstalling and renovating the wall protection system. It was at this point that, by request of Kras City's ruler, Haven City built roadways for combat racing, a sport that Kras City was taking global. This request was fulfilled, but the Stadium was restored to its former glory for Zoomer-racing. The ottsels, or rather Precursors, used their wisdom of technology and their powers to create a magnificent palace for Jak and his team to reside in. With all of these works, the people of Haven City knew what happiness was once again.

Well, everyone except for Jak. The poor fellow did not know what to do without a little bit of action here and now, and he could never get use to simply running around the palace doing political work. Though he was still reluctant to accept the title of "Lord Mar," at Ashelin's request he became her assistant and was trapped doing what she had to do as the temporary head of Haven City: everyday Jak had to wake up early, follow an agenda that was already set for him, and then retire to bed late at night; there were countless meetings about the city, there were some issues he and Ashelin had to settle between factions, and he was usually all about the palace and Haven City, though not of his choice. Everything was for the people—the only time Jak had a moment to himself was during his exercises, and after those he would reflect on his horrible day and even his horrible life before collapsing onto his bed, totally exhausted. And as if there was not enough on Jak's mind: he had yet to check on Sig, who was named King of Spargus City at Jak's pleading; Keira had gone missing, which occurred when Daxter blabbed unnecessary and exaggerated detail about Ashelin kissing Jak (as a result of Keira's disappearance, Samos was very angry with Jak); and Jak had recently received an invitation to some toast in regard to Krew's death, which meant taking a trip to Kras City and making arrangements for Ashelin, Torn, and Daxter to leave as well. Hell, Jak could not even remember the last time he visited his father's grave, which was located in the Tomb of Mar. This definitely was not the life Jak had in mind.

Now, after hearing (or reading) of the miseries of Jak's life, it would be hard to imagine that Daxter's life would be any different. Ah, this was more so a life of luxury for the carefree ottsel. Though he was not the greatest of help, for reasons beyond understanding Daxter was granted the position of Royal Advisor by the people (it's thought that they caught wind of his stories). As to be expected, Daxter was lousy with the whole advice gig and managed to escape death at the hands of Jak and the guns of Ashelin and Torn. Aside from the political life that he was practically useless at, the ottsel took the pleasure of indulging in Jak's riches, fame, and glory while enjoying the good life with his elf-turned-ottsel girlfriend Tess. With his lifelong dream of pants and the wish for a pool filled to the brim with chocolate (slightly minty), how could the ottsel not feel fulfilled? The only thing that stood in his way now was this invitation to Kras City; like he really wanted to toast to old lardy's death and meet his (probably) equally fat daughter.

And so, after months (trapped) inside the palace and Haven City, Jak and the crew headed off to Kras City, leaving Samos in-charge. What wonders would there be for them in the combat racing city, and what would be beyond Kras City? No one but the Precursors knew what the future would hold for Jak and Daxter.


	2. Chapter 1

**BD: Okay, this is going to include game quotes, but I'll try my hardest to make the whole gig interesting. I'm typing this up while listening to the Austin Powers theme… XD ANYWAY. Yes, through the course of this story, or at least in the Jak X segment, I will try to avoid following every piece of script of the game and I'll try my hardest to switch things up for you. Besides… you play the game, you watch the cut scenes… Why read them all over again?**

**Enjoy:3**

**Ah yes… Disclaimer: I love this shiz, don't own, but hope that it owns me. W00t.**

**Warning: Yes… the Jak X segment will include spoilers. So if you hate surprises or just don't give a damn, read. :D If you've beaten the game… go the hell on and read! 3**

Chapter One

Jak ran a hand through his freshly crew-cut hair as he entered the mansion that once belonged to Krew. With a wandering eye, he looked at all the portraits of what could be the entire line of Krew's family. At the end of the wall, a servant was hanging up a recent portrait of Krew. He pulled his attention from the portrait when Daxter had hopped onto his shoulder. Jak quirked an eyebrow at his ottsel friend, whose face was twisted in disgust.

"So Ol' Six-chin's ugliness was inherited. I guess I can feel some pity for the guy," Daxter said as he looked at each of the portraits. Jak chuckled as he entered the dining room where the meeting was to be held. Torn and Ashelin followed in and the two sat across from Jak and Daxter. After a few moments of silence, Daxter hopped off of Jak's shoulder and folded his arms over his chest.

"Geez, what's taking so long?" he asked rhetorically as he began pacing up and down the table. "I'm ready to get this over and blow this burg. Who called us here anyway?" Torn held up the invitation he received before looking at it.

"Says here it's from Rayn, Krew's daughter." Jak's eyebrows furrowed and he took out his invitation as well before looking at it. Sure enough, it said that it was from Krew's daughter. "So Krew has a daughter? He never seemed like the fatherly type." Daxter ran over to Jak, and snatched the card from him before reading it over. The ottsel's head and ears perked up once his disbelief was denied with truth.

"Krew… reproduced! Eeew…" he whined as his ears lowered; he grabbed his head when mental images formed. Ashelin, Torn and Jak all looked at one another before the image of a large, flabby, naked Krew floated over to a bed…

"Oh ew!" Torn cried as he shook his head frantically. Ashelin's face almost turned green as she said, "I'd rather see a Metal Head give birth." Jak placed his hand on his disturbed stomach as he then held his hand out to Daxter. "Thanks a lot, Dax." The ottsel had nearly thrown up before he laughed weakly.

"Eh, sorry buddy," he said before flopping down onto the table to sit down. "I just, I don't know…" He looked over at Jak with disgust. "Can you even imagine what the tub of jelly must look like?" The team once again looked at one another until the two swinging doors opened and in walked Krew's beautiful, thin, and innocent-looking daughter Rayn. The team and even Daxter were especially surprised at her clean, well-mannered appearance. The only thing she inherited from dear old dad was her eyes, and they did not seem to hold that greedy malice that Krew's eyes (or eye) did.

Rayn smiled at the team, and then placed the bottle of wine and electronic will on the table before she briefly bowed to the group. "Thank you all for coming to Kras City." Her smile faded as she took a brief moment to scope the room. "It looks like some didn't make it. Ah well…" Locking eyes with Jak, Rayn's smile returned as she held her hand out to him. "I'm Rayn." Jak looked at her hand, and then looked away.

"I don't shake," he stated flatly. Rayn's smile shrunk and she nodded before dropping her hands at her sides. Picking up the electronic will (we'll call it the e-will), Rayn walked over to a rack on the wall where glasses were located.

"Before father died, his wishes were simple: to have his will played for his closest—" She was cut off when the swinging doors burst open and a tall man with a muscular build was standing there. He was wearing a face mask that covered the top half of his face while his hair was green and swept back into a long braid that went past his behind: there was ribbon at the end of his hair. Around his neck was a pair of goggles while he had on a beige shirt and jeans with brown boots. He had on brown leather suspenders that hung off of his belt and had silver studs embedded in them. On his hands, he had on fingerless leather gloves and spiked wristbands. His arms were adorned with tattoos while his ears were swarmed with piercings—even his lip had two piercings. On his chest he had a gun strap for two pistols, which he had in each holster. The man tossed his thin green bangs out of his eyes, and then grinned at Rayn.

"I made it!" he said in a Western accent. Rayn frowned at him and demanded, "Go sit down. Please." The man nodded and gave a light chuckle until his eyes landed on Jak. For a while, the two stared at one another until Jak narrowed his eyes. "Is there a problem?" The man grinned, and then shrugged as he walked over to Jak. He then placed his hand on the vacant seat next to Jak.

"Mind if I sit here, kid?" Jak shrugged, and then returned his attention to Rayn. Looking at the new comer, Torn leaned towards Ashelin and whispered, "Is it me, or is there something familiar about that guy? I can't quite put my finger on it." Ashelin nodded slightly before whispering back, "That grin…" She narrowed her eyes, looking from the stranger to Jak until Rayn cleared her throat.

"Pardon, please excuse this rude visitor," she said, slightly angered, before removing the glasses from the rack. She then placed them on the table before opening the vintage wine bottle.

"As I was saying, father wanted to have his will played for his closest associates and for us to drink to his passing. This special vintage he kept for the very occasion to toast to his death." Rayn poured the wine in each glass before distributing the glasses. She then held her glass up. "Here's to old friends and to father's untimely…death." Once she drank the wine, the others followed; Jak looked at the wine with some suspicion before drinking it. He looked at Rayn, who smiled at him once more before she took a seat and pushed the button on the e-will. "So, without further delay, his message to us."

It was at that moment that a holographic Krew emerged and began talking. "Hello nearly friends and mostly enemies. If you're listening to this message, then I must be dead. Oh well…" Jak winced at Krew mentioning his death before he looked at Rayn. He sighed quietly and returned his attention to the hologram. "As you all know, I loved racing almost as much as I loved weapons." Daxter snickered.

"Talk about unhealthy obsessions," the ottsel commented. Jak shushed him as the hologram proceeded with its speech. "Alas I never fulfilled my living dream of winning the biggest race of all - the Kras City Grand Championship. But even in death, I will field the greatest racing team ever assembled and win the biggest race on the planet. You are the best and you will race for me!" Ashelin narrowed her eyes.

"To hell with that!" she spat. Torn slammed his fist on the table and yelled, "Never!" while Daxter threw in, "No way!" Jak glared at the hologram before yelling, "Forget it! I was your heavy long enough!" The masked stranger, who had reclined in his chair, tilted his head back to look at the angered group. "What's so wrong with working for ol' Krew?" They all glared at him until the hologram resumed its speech.

"I expect you're all riled up by now so let me tell you why you will race and will win. If all went as planned, you just gave a touching toast in my honor." Jak narrowed his eyes as he lifted up the glass and inspected it. He should have gone with his suspicions. Hell, he should have just stayed home. He returned his attention to the hologram. "Sorry to say, but I put poison in that 'special' vintage! Quite unsporting of me really." Everyone immediately snatched up their glasses and Daxter was so annoyed as to throw his glass to the floor and glare at Jak: every misery in the ottsel's life was Jak's fault, after al. Rayn jumped to her feet and slammed her hands on the table as she stared at Krew's hologram, appalled.

"Father!" she cried in desperation before falling into her chair and covering her face with her hands. The hologram leaned towards her. "This is where Rayn will probably get upset. Sorry dear. It's a slow-acting poison, or you'd already be dead! You have just enough time to finish this year's racing season. If you race for me and win, my associates will provide each with an antidote to the poison. Simple, eh?" With that said, it faded away, giving Ashelin room to get up and pull her gun on Rayn. "What the hell did you do to us?" With the gun in her face, Rayn held up her hands in surrender as she looked at Ashelin with pleading eyes. She glanced at the masked stranger.

"Please, I didn't know--I drank it too. Father never did play favorites," she said as she downcast her eyes. Torn smacked his glass away before standing up and pointing at Rayn. "Yeah, well your father's crazy!" Ashelin pushed her gun against Rayn's head until the masked stranger stood up, holding both of his pistols.

"Hey, hey, calm ya'll asses down or I may have to cap 'em," he demanded with a barrel aimed at Ashelin and the other at Torn. Jak stood up and glared at the stranger as a jolt of Dark Eco went through Jak's body, briefly making his eyes empty, cold, and black.

"The only ass that may get capped around here is yours," Jak murmured angrily. Daxter stood up, and then hopped onto Jak's shoulder before shaking a fist. "Yeah!" Jak then turned to look at Ashelin, missing the stranger's broad smirk. "And I think she's telling the truth." That's when Krew's hologram reappeared and gave one last comment: "Well, it's been one minute, so I figure by now you're all arguing about how to get out of this mess. My advice is trust no one! Win the race and save yourselves!" It was at that point that Daxter turned on his best friend and said as the hologram faded, "Jak, next time you invite me to one of your little parties... Don't!" Torn nodded, and then folded his arms over his chest.

"Seriously, speaking that this was for Krew. We don't owe his fa--" Torn stopped himself when he glimpsed at Rayn's distressed face. He then proceeded to talk. "We don't owe Krew anything." Jak rose to his feet, and then placed his hands on the table as he narrowed an eye at Torn.

"Other than the fact that he gave the Underground vital information," Jak replied. It seemed that he was defending the fatty's non-existent honor; he quickly jumped the subject as he slammed his fist into his palm. "Look, we can do this: we'll race, win this thing, and beat Krew at his own game." Rayn smiled at Jak (and especially when Ashelin holstered her gun) before she stood up and picked up the e-will.

"I have faith that all of you can win this. Father bought us the best mobile racing garage that money can buy. Each of you is free to choose whichever racing car you deem fit—all of them are fresh and up-to-date." Rayn's smile broadened as she held the e-will to her chest. "Even at the cost of our lives, we're in this together." Jak smiled, then got ready to speak until the masked stranger butted in (he seems to be good at this, huh?).

"Look, you guys can have ya'll cheesy get-together and 'we're one'-thing, but I'm wingin' this solo," he said as he took out a cigar before putting it in his mouth and lighting it. He twirled his guns, holstered them, and then walked over to Rayn. "I'll protect this little lady myself." Ashelin rolled her eyes, and then folded her arms.

"Yeah, protect her from her own dead father's wishes." The masked stranger gritted his teeth, and then nudged Rayn. "Puh, c'mon babe." Rayn frowned at the stranger, and then rolled her eyes before returning her attention to her poisoned audience.

"Let's get to it, everyone," she encouraged with a smile. She then frowned when she looked to the smoking stranger. "And just so you all know, this is Ark. He's a family… friend. He will direct you to the garage." When Ark's jaw dropped in surprise, Rayn merely waved him off as she cleaned up the dining room. "Run along now." With that said, Ark stormed out of the dining room with Jak and the crew following after.

**BD: Ya know… I think Razor's theme should be the Austin Powers theme. XD If not, I see Ark having the theme. Hope you enjoyed and I'll try to get chapter two to you tomorrow… Whew, this was a lot of work!**


	3. Chapter 2

**BD: Hope you enjoyed the first chapter. Just in case you didn't read the Prologue or missed some information, Keira isn't here because she ran away. She's mad at the whole JakxAshelin kiss, and thus she has disappeared and Samos and PO'd at Jak. Just a reminder. 3**

**And again. Spoiler warning if you haven't beaten the game yet. I still encourage you to read, though. XP Much luff. 3**

**Disclaimer: I don't own ND. But I hope it owns me. D:**

Chapter Two

After choosing their vehicles, Jak, Ark, and the rest of the group entered the lounge of the Kras City Broadcasting Station before taking seats. Torn wrapped his arm around Ashelin's waist; Jak leaned back in his seat with Daxter next to him. When Ark plopped down next to Jak, Jak narrowed his eyes to look at him. Daxter glared at Ark as well.

"Can we help you with something, country boy?" the ottsel asked. Ark stared at Daxter for a moment before he burst into laughter and roughly patted Jak's shoulder.

"I'm takin' a likin' to this here rat of yours," he said with a large grin. "What's its name?" Daxter snorted, and then hopped between Jak and Ark.

"I'm Daxter, but for the likes of you," he said while smoothing back his ears, "It's Orange Lightning." The ottsel then jumped on the defensive as he pointed at the green-haired fellow. "And I'm not a rat, nor do I belong to Jakky-boy here! I'm a Prec—"

"Well, ain't that cute," Ark cut in while rubbing Daxter's head. He then stood up before winking at everyone. "How rude a' me not to fully introduce myself. Name's Ark—"

"We already know that," Ashelin stated as she glared at him with annoyance. Ark cleared his throat, and then combed his fingers through his hair.

"I know, I know, but I think you guys and gal should know more about me, eh?" He took out another cigar, and then lit it before taking a smoke. "I'm Ark. No need for last names." He winked at Jak, who arched an eyebrow, and continued. "I've been workin' for Krew for nine years or so—been with him 'fore I even got my manly charm." He shaped his fingers like guns and aimed them at Ashelin before making a clicking sound with his mouth. Torn glared at Ark and gritted his teeth as the masked one proceeded with his blabbering. "Krew was ever-so gracious as to even let me be lil' Raynnie's bodyguard. I watched the lil' missy grow up and, damn, I must say there are some good genes in ol' yakky's (my nickname for Krew) family. I mean, she acts like she ain't got the hots for me but—"

"That's enough talking from you, Ark," Rayn told him as she entered the lounge. She pointed towards the televisions above everyone's heads. "The first broadcast of the season's starting, so please, sit down and hush." Ark nodded and saluted.

"Ma'am, yes, ma'am!" He then took his seat next to Jak. Still wary of Ashelin's attitude, Rayn took her seat next to Daxter just as the televisions flipped on and G.T. Blitz and his freakishly cheesy grin appeared on screen.

"Welcome race fans to another turbo charged season of high stakes, high speed racing. As usual, yours truly, G.T. Blitz, will give you a pit row view of all the action as the best racers in the world swap paint in their quest to claim the Kras City Grand Championship Trophy. In the end, only one wheel jockey will claim the prize as the greatest racer in the land. And we'll be here to cover all the thrills, chills, and spills! The season's first race kicks off in a few minutes... so stay tuned, and keep those engines hummin'!" After G.T. Blitz winked, the televisions flipped off. Daxter looked up at Jak. "Ya know, that guy seems a tad too happy." Ark pulled his cigar out and blew a puff of smoke before rubbing his chin. "I've got yet to figure out how he keeps his teeth that shiny." Rayn looked at Ark with irritation. "May you'd have teeth like that if you wouldn't smoke as much." Ark got up and went over to Rayn and began whining just as Jak's communicator buzzed. The blonde pulled the communicator off of his belt, and then flipped it open.

"It's Jak."

"What's going on? What's taking so long for all of you to get back here?" the caller asked impatiently—it was Samos. Daxter took the communicator from Jak before talking to Samos. "Well, limp stems, it seems as though we're not coming back until the end of the Kras City races." The ottsel held the communicator away when Samos yelled, this causing Jak to wince—it was almost like his younger years in Sandover Village.

"WHAT! Do you know how long that is! It takes about a week until the championships end!" Samos fussed. He glared at Jak. "And you told me you were just going to some meeting with Krew's daughter. What happened—are you two 'bonding' or something?" Jak clenched his jaw at Samos's comment before he quickly swallowed his anger. Samos was a close friend. Samos was like the father he never had. Samos was very important. "Will you answer me already?" Samos knew how to piss Jak off.

"Look Samos, all of us have been poisoned, even Krew's daughter. We have to win the championship in order to receive the antidote," Jak explained. Ashelin took the communicator from Daxter.

"Since you're the Green Sage, I'll get the bottle sent to you for analyzing," she said before glaring at Rayn, "As long as _she_ has no problem with it." Rayn's jaw tightened before she swallowed hard and smiled at Ashelin.

"It's all right." Ashelin grunted, and then returned her attention to Samos. "I'll have the vintage bottle sent to you." After Samos nodded, Ashelin tossed the communicator to Jak, who then stood up.

"We're off to do our first race."

"You better not get yourself killed. I've heard of combat racing—it's not a very kind sport," Samos said as worry climbed onto his face. "I fear this affair will end badly. A wise man once said, 'be watchful of those in front of you, but beware of those behind'." Daxter scratched his head, and then tilted his head aside. "What wise man said that?" Samos glared at the ottsel before yelling, "I did!" He then returned his attention to Jak.

"You better not get killed. Your father may have been my best friend, but I'll be damned if I run this city. Plus, you need to find my daughter!" With that, the communication line was cut and all Jak could do was sigh. Torn got up, and then walked over to Jak before lightly punching his shoulder.

"Look, none of us is happy about this, but we might as well make the best of it," he reassured. Rayn nodded as she looked over at Jak, who was holding his head in his hands. "Jak, I can assure you that my father provided everything we need to win. One of us can do it if we all—" Ashelin narrowed her eyes at Rayn when she got ready to place her hand on Jak's back.

"Your father got us into this mess, so zip it before I come over there and play daddy!" Ark quickly got to his feet and stood in front of Rayn as he prepared to draw his guns; Torn rushed over to Ashelin and placed his hands on her shoulders, trying to calm her down. Jak sighed and shook his head before looking over at Daxter, who was grinning broadly.

"Man, I love me a good cat fight." Jak rolled his eyes, and then looked up when the doors to the lounger opened and in walked G.T. Blitz. He stopped and took a look around before his usual grin snaked onto his face before he spoke. "Well, well... I was told we had some fresh wax rookies this year, but I had to eyeball it for myself. G.T. Blitz is the name. I'm the Kras City Racing Commissioner and star of the highest syndicated sports event on the planet. I just came by to wish you luck and to skid down a few rules. No side bets. No cheating. No rule breaks or we'll break you. You in gear? This is show business boys... and girls. Only the best racers move up to the bigger events, so make me happy... and make the crowd scream!"

Jak looked to his companions before standing up. "There's too much at stake for us to be fighting amongst ourselves. For now, I suggest we just wing it until we can come up with a legitimate plan." Jak smirked and cracked his knuckles. "I'm ready—let's race." He then walked out of the lounger with Daxter, Ashelin, and Torn following after. Ark looked over at Rayn and grinned.

"I like this guy's attitude," he told her, causing her to roll her eyes.

"You should—it's no different from yours. Now, come along now—I don't want you racing just yet." Rayn grabbed Ark by his ear, and then dragged him out of the lounger.

And so the first round of racing began…

**BD: The theme for today's typed piece: Puffy AmiYumi-Teen Titans Japanese Theme. XD I know, I'm strange.**

**About the whole Samos being Damas's best friend, I've decided on that since Samos/the Shadow manages to remain in contact with Kid before he's taken to the past/present/whatever in Sandover Village. I've also noticed that from the Jak X script… Jak doesn't talk a lot and there isn't much character development… I'll try to fix what ND didn't do. I DON'T OWN IT. D: Again, hope you enjoyed. 3**


	4. Chapter 3

**BD: Well, this story is supposed to have Torn and Ashy romancing now isn't it? Well, peeps, here it is! Sure, why not go ahead and break away from the whole Jak X line? It's my story damn it! Enjoy. Just forgive me if it's a tad bad. D:**

**Disclaimer: Naughty Dog owns me and all these characters. Ark's mine though. I love that mofo. :X**

Chapter Three

"Thanks for the help," Ashelin said to Torn as she leaned against her car's rear fender. Torn gave her a small smile after he had screwed the last bolt onto the car's wheel. Standing up, he wiped the sweat from his forehead.

"I do what I can," he replied before wiping the grease on his palms onto his pants. "Keira would prove much more helpful—I'm a tactician, not a mechanic." Ashelin closed the gap between them and placed her hand on his chest before tapping his nose as she purred, "You're my mechanic and I really don't give a damn how good you are." Torn smirked and placed his hands on her hips before leaning in for a kiss. Ashelin leaned in as well until—

"Hey!" The two looked up before looking down at Daxter, who was approaching them. Ashelin growled and Torn glared at the ottsel. "What the hell do you want, rat?" The ottsel put his paws on his hips.

"Well excuse me for butting in on your little love fest but we're about to race—ya gotta put in your car's registry code before it can be wheeled out," Daxter explained. Ashelin rolled her eyes, then tossed a card to the ottsel.

"There's the code." Torn took his card out of his pocket, then tossed it to the ottsel. "And there's mine. Now get lost." Daxter looked at the cards, then grinned as he saluted to the two.

"Yeah, yeah, thanks a bunch! You two can cross stripes now!" Daxter turned and left the garage. Just as Torn was about to make a comeback, Ashelin had grabbed him by his shirt and jerked him to her before crushing Torn's lips with her own. Torn was a bit shocked, though he was not deprived of Ashelin's kisses; each kiss was like his first, which occurred when the two were in the Krimzon Guard Training Academy. Torn's body always managed to go numb: was it the lipstick? By the Precursors, he never knew if he would ever get use to Ashelin's kisses. Only on a few occasions was he in his right mind to return the kisses and to his recollection, they had only made out once. He wondered what would happen when they got around to making love. Torn quickly shook the thoughts out of his head to prevent his body from making any "happy" reactions. That's when he noticed that the kiss had ended quite some time ago and Ashelin was standing before him, her arms folded under her chest and a bemused expression on her face.

"Seriously Torn, you cease to stop amazing me," she said with a light laugh. As two racing officials came in, Ashelin began making her way out of the garage. Torn stumbled behind her as he laughed weakly.

"What makes you say that?" he asked as he rubbed the back of his head. Ashelin chuckled as she walked closer to him. "Your reactions after I kiss you are entertaining." Torn gave a half-smile as he wrapped his arm around Ashelin's waist.

"I'm still having trouble believing that you're finally mine," he told her. Ashelin let down her hard ass barrier and softened her attitude as she leaned her head against Torn's shoulder. Torn tightened his hold on her as his expression became stern. "I thought you fell for Jak after that kiss and all." A hush fell between them before Ashelin sighed and lifted her head from Torn's shoulder. The woman stared down at the pavement.

"I regret doing that. The whole Jak thing… it was a girlish infatuation," she said before looking up at Torn. "A fling. I was caught in the moment when he defeated Errol—my emotions were at a high peak when I kissed Jak. I didn't mean it and Jak knows that too well." Ashelin placed her hand on Torn's cheek and the man seemed to nuzzle her hand. The soft touched he longed for was finally his. And Jak did not stand in the way. Ashelin leaned towards Torn and kissed him before gazing into his eyes. Precursors, he loved her eyes. "Torn, I put my heart, my passion into every kiss I give you. It's my love that I give to you and I eventually hope to give you more." Torn's eyes widened at this last comment before he smiled, pulling Ashelin to his chest and hugging her.

"You don't have to prove anything to me, Ash. You've always been above me, always one step ahead of me. " Torn placed his finger under her chin and titled her head up. "I had to fight to get you, and now you're mine. Stop fretting over the past." Ashelin placed her slender hands on Torn's masculine hand before his hand.

"I can't fully begin to forgive myself until we find Keira," she said before grinning at Torn. "You're a decent mechanic, but she has talent." Torn cocked an eyebrow, then chuckled as he began walking to the track with Ashelin. The woman's grin turned sly as she leaned against Torn. "That's all right: I'd prefer a tactician over a mechanic any day." Torn blinked, then narrowed a suspicious eye at Ashelin. "And why's that?"

Ashelin stepped in front of Torn, placed her hand on his chest, then leaned in before whispering, "I don't need a man to just fix me up; I need a man who knows what he's doing to me beforehand and with style." A shiver went through Torn just as Ashelin chuckled and walked away. Torn fully processed the thought and he quickly his forehead with his palm, dismissing whatever plans he had now accumulated in regard to what he would do to Ashelin, given the chance. This was just in case things went wrong with the race—he may never get to have a "piece" of the red-head bombshell pie. _Gotta have faith in Jak_, Torn repeated in his mind as he ran to catch up with Ashelin at the track. Upon reaching her, he grabbed her by her shoulder, jerked her around, and then pulled her into his arms before kissing her, releasing all of his pent up tension and passion. Torn released Ashelin, who was now in a lovesick daze, before he headed over to his vehicle.

"Hey Ash, your tactician will meet you at the finish line," he told her. Once she had regained her senses, Ashelin got into her race car, which was parked next to Torn's. Once the two and the other racers had started their engines, Ashelin grinned as she looked at her lover.

"I plan to meet my tactician at his door around midnight tonight," she said, causing Jak and Daxter to perk their heads up and glance back. It was at that moment that G.T. Blitz announced that the racing was ready to begin. At the green light and G.T.'s demand for the racers to go, Jak and the team pulled off. Now Torn had two things at the top of his list to worry about: how he was going to survive his first race, and just what Ashelin planned to do to him that night.

**BD: There. Sorry if I didn't portray Ashy and Torn the right way or anything. D: I need to watch some Jak II and 3 cut scenes. W00tage. Well, I hope you enjoyed. If you have any suggestions, lemme know. Reviews are GREATLY appreciated. 3**

**Today's Typing Theme—Gorillaz – El Manana**


	5. Chapter 4

**BD: Well, I hope you guys enjoyed the last chapter. Once again, sorry if I pulled Torn and Ashy out of line but that was my first time writing with them and stuff. I'm sure I'll do better with the development of this story. Soooo… I hope you enjoy this little piece. It's quite long but I wanted Ark to show up on the scene. Indulge!**

**Disclaimer: …Raaaah… D Naughty Dog Pwns you bihatches and pwns the characters in this story.**

Chapter Four

Jak jerked the wheel and slammed his foot on the brakes before sliding over the finish line. Torn and Ashelin sped over the line before Daxter fell into Jak's lap before holding up his limp arms, causing the blonde to arch an eyebrow.

"Ya know buddy," Daxter began as he rose to his feet. He shakily climbed onto the dashboard of the Road Blade. "With the way you're driving, I may have to get my own seat built into this baby." Jak climbed out of the car and began walking away as Daxter hopped onto his shoulder. Jak looked over at the ottsel and grinned.

"The way I'm driving? I haven't even started yet," Jak said. Daxter stared at him, and then released an exasperated sigh as he threw his hands up in defeat. "Why do I even bother?" Just as he said this, a camera came looking over him; when Daxter turned around, he shrieked and fell to the ground. Jak glanced behind himself at the camera and followed it before stopping his walking when he almost bumped into G.T. Blitz. Jak then folded his arms over his chest as Daxter jumped onto his shoulder and the broadcast began with the camera focused solely on G.T.

"You saw it here folks... at least those of you who didn't die yawning or switch to the bran channel. An unknown driver wins his first big race... in lackluster fashion," he announced with a yawn. The camera then switched over to Jak as G.T. held the microphone to Jak. "So, tell us, what happened out there? Were you frightened?" When Jak leaned in to speak, Daxter grabbed the microphone before pulling it over to his large mouth.

"Of course _we_ weren't afraid!" the ottsel stated arrogantly before pointing at the camera. "You other racers better watch your backs! Jak… and I are gonna—" G.T. pulled the microphone from Daxter as Torn and Ashelin approached them.

"Ha, I like your spunk, but just wait till ya race the big name drivers," the grinning commissioner said before chuckling. Torn perked his head up at this comment before frowning. "It gets worse?"

G.T. Blitz laughed before his face became serious. "Much." He then edged the microphone over to Jak. "Think you can handle it?" Ashelin pushed her way forward and stood up to G.T. before holding up her fist.

"You need to back off or I'll end up breaking you," she spat before leaning towards G.T. "Think you can handle that?" The commissioner laughed weakly before grinning at the camera as he tried to regain his composure.

"I'll take that as a "no" or a "no comment," and with that, let's take it down to Greaser in pit row." G.T. winked at the camera before it flew off. Stepping away from Ashelin, G.T. cleared his throat and straightened his jacket before smoothing his hair down. He then looked up at Jak and the team before frowning. "That's a wrap. Listen, I'm not getting much smoke off you guys. I need more spin... more heat! Ratings were down 13 points on that last race. Not happening! If you want to get into the club, you gotta win a lot more, and you gotta win big!" He then walked over to Jak before patting his shoulder. "Accumulate serious points and maybe I'll give you another interview." G.T. gave Jak a hard slap on the back, causing Jak to stumble forward. The commissioner smirked, then turned and walked away. "Heh, heh… If you're still around." Jak narrowed his eyes in G.T.'s direction, and then looked down at Daxter when the ottsel had jumped down from his shoulder.

"If we're still around! Does every adventure we do _have_ to endanger our lives?" the ottsel whined before climbing back onto Jak's shoulder and leaning towards Jak while baring his teeth. "Ya know I kinda LIKE living, Jak!" Jak rolled his eyes, and then began walking towards the broadcast station with Ashelin and Torn following behind. The blonde smirked at his ottsel friend.

"C'mon, Dax. You can only live life when it's on the line," he said. The ottsel frowned at his best friend. "To hell with that. The next time you go on some suicidal outing, count me out." Jak chuckled as Torn sighed.

"Ya know, I might be able to enjoy this sport to some extent if my life weren't already on the line," Torn said. Ashelin nudged him. "We've been in deeper stuff than this." Jak looked over his shoulder at the two.

"Exactly. Krew got in a cheap shot," he said before looking up at the darkening sky. "Well, it's getting late." Jak took out his communicator, and then flipped it open. "Samos called, so let's find out where the results were before we head out to bed."

Upon entering the broadcast station, everyone but Jak took their seats in order to wait for Rayn to return from whatever business she was handling. Jak called Samos, who seemed slightly irritated.

"That race was horrendous!" the Green Sage yelled. "I thought you could do better than that—you're lost your touch, Jak." The blonde sighed, and then shifted his weight as he looked at Samos with a stern expression.

"Look, I didn't call to get yelled at. You got the results or not?" Jak asked impatiently. Samos glared at Jak and shook his fist.

"Don't you get snappy with me! And just so you know, I can't find traces of this plant anywhere!" Ashelin, Torn, and Daxter jumped up before yelling in unison, "What!" Torn walked over to Jak.

"If he can't even find that plant, how can we be sure that there's even an antidote?" he said before Daxter hopped onto Jak's shoulder and looked at Samos with a frown.

"How do we even know we've been poisoned? Fatso could be pulling some crap on us," the ottsel argued. Samos grunted, and then waved his hands.

"All of you calm down. I can't find the plant in Haven City, but I'm sure I can arrange for a search," Samos explained. Ashelin placed her hand on her hip before walking over to Jak.

"I'd suggest contacting Sig. He'd be more than happy to help." Samos rubbed his beard and nodded. "That does sound like a good idea. I'll be sure to contact him tonight—I'll report after your race tomorrow. That is, if I have the information by then." The connection was then cut, and as soon as Jak flipped the communicator shut, Ark had suddenly appeared from behind and threw his arms around Jak and Torn's necks, knocking Daxter onto the floor in the process. The two Havenites looked at the masked minion and narrowed their eyes. Ark laughed.

"'Ey, what's the problem? We're on the same team!" Ark said as he leaned his head towards Jak and gave him a light shake. He grinned. "We're all buddies here!" Torn shook Ark off, then walked away.

"Give me a break. I'm going for a drink," Torn said. As soon as Ark opened his mouth, Torn stated, "You're not invited." The tactician then wrapped his arm around Ashelin's waist and the two walked off. Ark whistled as he watched Ashelin.

"Man, that lil' chickie's got a bod on her," he said before smirking and looking at Jak. "And she's your friend, righ'?" Jak narrowed his eyes at Ark, and then walked away as Daxter hopped onto his shoulder. "It's been a long day—I'm going to bed." Ark folded his arms over his chest and pouted until a grin snaked onto his face.

"Of course it's been a long day—that race of yours was horrible. As long as it took you, I coulda passed the finish line three times before you crossed it to win." Jak stopped, and then shook his head.

"I'm not putting up with this." He continued walking as Ark said, "Go ahead and walk away, blondie. At the rate you're going, the only thin' you'll be winnin' is a trip back to Haven in a casket." Daxter leaned towards Jak and whispered, "You gonna take this crap from that hillbilly, buddy?"

"Like hell I will," Jak growled before turning around and walking up to Ark with his hands tightened into fists. Jak stood directly in front of Ark and sized him up as he glared at him.

"If you wanna take this on the track, I'm ready," Jak growled. When he tightened his fist, a jolt of Dark Eco surged through him. "Just tell me if you _really_ wanna get your ass kicked. I'll happily give you that desire."

"Yeah, so watch it!" Daxter added in. Ark smirked as he then cracked his knuckles. "That's the action I want—I'm ready when you are, blondie." Just as Ark punched his fist into his hand, a surge of red eco flowed through, surprising both Jak and Daxter. Ark grinned.

"You ain't the only channeller 'round these parts, bud."

"Even so, you're keeping your eco to yourself," said Rayn as she walked in. She frowned at Ark before smiling at Jak and placing her hand on his shoulder. "Splendid racing today. I know you'll up the ante once you get up there with the big name drivers." Jak grunted and Daxter gave Rayn a thumbs up.

"Count on it, baby. We've got this in the bag." Rayn nodded and watched as Jak and Daxter walked off. Once they were gone, Rayn grabbed Ark by his braid before jerking him towards her.

"I don't know what your problem is with him, but I suggest you suck it up! I've got a race to win," she hissed as she glared at him. Ark whimpered and nodded until Rayn released his hair, causing the distraught man to coo as he stroked his braid. Rayn folded her arms over her chest. "I don't understand why father took a liking to you anyway: you're pathetic." Ark tossed his braid over his shoulder (after he had consoled it by telling it that Rayn did not mean the pain she inflicted), then ran a hand through his hair.

"What can I say—what's the public without Ark?" he asked, causing Rayn to roll her eyes. Ark chuckled and stretched his arms over his head. "I have what people want."

"Yes, right," Rayn said with faint amusement before tapping Ark's mask. "And why exactly are you wearing this? You never made that clear to me. I don't remember you to be so… secretive when it came to your beloved appearance." Ark took Rayn's hand in his before he removed the mask.

"Take a good look and think about it." Rayn frowned with annoyance as she studied Ark's face. Her eyebrows lifted and her eyes widened as she then covered her mouth and gasped.

"By the Precursors, that's right!" I almost forgot that you're—" Ark grinned and placed his index finger on Rayn's lips when she removed her hands.

"That's righ', Raynnie. The audience don't need to know that just yet, though," he said while putting his mask back on before holding out his arm. "Now, shall I escort you to your room, princess?" Rayn recovered from her shock, and then looked at Ark's arm before turning up her nose and walking out of the lounge.

"You truly disgust me. Now come along and be the bodyguard that father entrusted you to be." Ark saluted, and then followed after Rayn like a hopeless, yet loyal puppy.

**BD: W00t, got some Ark in. Who he is shall remain a myyyystery… Wooo… And as you can see, the true Rayn is revealed when no one else is around. What shall become of Rayn and Ark? We shall see, we shall see. Reviews are greatly appreciated. 3**

**Today's Typing Theme: Mortal Kombat Theme Song**


	6. Chapter 5

**BD: I hope the last chapter was fun for you—sorry for not updating sooner! I'll be sure to get another chapter in within the next 24 hours or Soooo… Also, I wanted to know the opinion of the slowly developing fans—should I continue following the Jak X story, or should I abandon it and go in a totally new direction? I'm sure you've all noticed that I'm following the game with tweaks and stuff but I wanted to make sure you weren't bored with the cycle. So lemme know as soon as possible whether or not you wish for me to go through the entirety of Jak X. :3**

**Disclaimer: Naughty Dog, like, omg, owns like, all the characters in, like, this story, ya like know? Well, all of them except for like Ark and stuff.**

Chapter Five

The first rays of sunshine beamed into the room Jak and Daxter were sharing. The two heroes, Ashelin, and Torn had agreed upon staying in Krew's mansion until the championship had ended. Daxter was sleeping quite comfortably in the comfy queen-sized bed that he shared with his best friend.

Though it was early in the morning—barely past seven o'clock—Jak was standing on the balcony, watching the changing sky. He was dressed in his pajamas: a white tank top and flannel blue pants. Around his neck was the insignia of his lineage, which he was holding and observing with mild amusement. He perked his head up when he heard the bedroom doors creak open and he quickly exited the balcony to see Ark worming his way into the room. Jak arched an eyebrow, and then folded his arms over his chest as he watched the would-be stealthy man enter. Oddly enough, Ark still had his mask on, though all his piercings were removed and he was dressed in only a pair of blue sweat pants. When Ark turned around, he was startled by Jak's stiff figure. Jak became serious as he shifted his weight.

"What the hell are you doing in here?" the blonde asked. Ark rubbed his neck, and then laughed sheepishly.

"Well, I kinda like this room—it's got a good view of the city," he replied as he made his way towards the balcony. "And the view of Haven is pretty good, ya know, if you're getting' homesick an' all." Jak grunted, and then squinted at Ark's back. His eyes then widened when he identified the tattoo at the crook of Ark's neck—it was the Mar insignia, Jak quickly followed behind Ark.

"You from Haven City?" he asked, glancing at the tattoo one more time before he stood next to Ark. Jak was puzzled at the man's smirk.

"Sadly, but truly." Ark leaned against the railing. "I'm an exile, though, so I ain't gonna pledge no loyalties to that city." He tilted his head aside to look at the Haven City Palace as he became serious. "It's been years, but I still get a lil' homesick." Jak nodded, then leaned against the railing and rested his arms on the metal bar.

"What did you get exiled for?" Jak asked. Ark snorted, and then gave a bitter laugh before lifting his hand and waving it.

"What's it matter?" he asked in reply. Jak looked at Ark with his eyes narrowed. "Well you had to have been important—that tattoo on your back tells me that much." Ark's eyes widened and he cursed under his breath before grinning at Jak.

"Mar… He was a cool guy. I greatly admire him," Ark said. He then made his quickest efforts to change the subject. "So, what're you doin' up?" Jak closed his eyes and shrugged.

"I could ask you the same."

"But I asked first."

"Fine," Jak said. He opened his eyes halfway, and then rested his head on his arms. "I don't know why I'm telling you this, but there's this girl I like, well, I guess I love and I…" Jak hesitated, and then sighed. "I kind of drove her away." Ark grinned broadly, and then slapped Jak hard on the back, causing the railing to rattle.

"You came to the righ' guy—I'm a genius when it comes to the ladies!" Jak rolled his eyes until Ark threw his arm around his shoulders and gave him a light shake. "Buddy, just apologize an' treat 'er like a queen! She'll fall into your arms an' forget ev'rythin'!" The blonde frowned.

"Funny you should say that," Jak commented before grinning. "I don't see Rayn in any rush to be with you. Besides, the girl I want has been missing for months." Ark snorted, and then lightly shoved Jak, causing the blonde to chuckle.

"These things take time, blondie, an' fate has a way with things. The girl you want, she'll come back when ya least expect it—I suggest you have a plan, ya hear?"

"Yeah, yeah, I hear," Jak replied while rolling his eyes. Ark grinned.

"I'm really startin' to like you. Then again, it was only mutual." Jak arched an eyebrow. "Mutual?"

"Yep, mutual. Now, just to answer your question of what I'm doin' up for—when Raynnie's up, I gotta have my ass up 'bout an hour earlier. Plus, I gotta make my round about—today's gonna be a long day fulla races: the Grand Prix for this division is in two days," Ark explained as he left the balcony. Jak followed behind him.

"A Grand Prix in two days? Just how long is this competition?" he asked. Ark stopped, rubbed his chin, and then nodded to assure himself of his thought before he spoke.

"We're changin' out style, an' since stakes are higher this year, it'll last for two weeks." Ark patted his chest. "That poison's horrendously slow." His eyes then widened and he whined as he shoved his fingers into his mouth. Jak frowned. "What is it?"

"Kras City races usually last for only a week or a week and a half. What if Krew…" As Ark trailed off, Jak's eyes widened with horror as he brought his hand to his forehead.

"Oh my God… We'll die before the races are over. Samos has got to call soon." Ark sighed, and then shook his head.

"I wonder why I'm so attached to this damn family. Damn that Raynnie." Ark shook his head once more before placing his hand on Jak's shoulder. "Anyway, I hope to see ya on the track by nine—you an' all your friends." A smirk crawled onto the masked man's face. "And you better race a helluva lot better than you did yesterday. If not, I'm gonna hafta kick your ass." Jak smirked in return.

"Oh, trust me. I'm gonna race so well you're gonna have to kick your own ass." Ark laughed and patted Jak's shoulder. "I like that attitude, blondie. See ya on the track." Ark then left; once the door closed, Jak collapsed onto his bed as he frowned and stared up at the draping canopy.

"Precursors, when I talked to him, it was almost like… Like I actually knew him," Jak mumbled to himself. He shook his head, and then rolled onto his side. "Hm, maybe I'm just getting desperate for friends."

Jak and Daxter walked into the Broadcast Station once the first couple of races were over. Jak flopped down onto the couch and Daxter went to the bar to talk the maid into making breakfast for him. Torn and Ashelin entered the lounge and Jak glanced at them before tilting his head back and closing his eyes in an attempt to sleep. His ears shut off whatever words were floating between Torn and Ashelin until his communicator vibrated, startling Jak and almost causing him to fall off the couch. He smiled sheepishly at everyone in the room before flipping open the communicator. He then looked up at Ashelin.

"Hey, Samos has the results." Just as Jak tossed the communicator to Ashelin, Rayn and Ark entered the room. Daxter, who was now eating a plate of pancakes, Fluff-fluff eggs, and Yakow bacon, looked up, and then hopped down from the counter before going over to Rayn. Daxter lifted his leg and patted his inner thigh.

"You know, except for a little rash in the nether regions, I feel fine. Maybe Krew was bluffing about the whole poison thing?" Ashelin shook her head as she tossed the communicator back to Jak. "Samos finished the analysis of the bottle: there were traces of Black Shade, A rare and deadly plant found in the Wasteland, at the bottom--We were poisoned alright." Rayn sighed and dropped her hands in front of her as she lowered her head.

"Father never cut corners. Trust me, it's the real deal." Ark looked up at Jak, who then looked over at Ashelin. "Did Samos say anything about an antidote?" Rayn glanced up at this as Ashelin nodded.

"He said that he doubts that he can create one in less than two weeks, but he has created a concoction to stall the poison from taking full effect for another week," Ashelin explained before turning to Rayn and glaring at her. "Black Shades a _week_ to kill the in-taker. We're lucky to have stayed in contact with Samos." Torn came up behind the angry redhead before placing his hands on her shoulders and smiling at Rayn. "In other words, thanks for the bottle." Ashelin grunted.

"It's not a problem, everyone," Daxter said as he hopped onto the bar counter to resume eating his breakfast. "Never fear... when the going gets tough... Jak will get us out of it!" Jak rolled his eyes, and then stood up.

"We have no other options—we have to win the whole thing," Jak told them. Ark folded his arms over his chest. "The true question should be whether or not you fellas can hold your own against the pros."

"Pros? Don't you mean lunatics?" Torn asked with a frown as he massaged Ashelin's shoulders. "I don't think the odds are even in our favor against them." Once Torn had finished with the massage, Ashelin stretched before heading towards the exit.

"No offense guys, but I'm not going to trust my life to anyone but me. Just stay out of my way, I'll win." Rayn placed her hand on Ashelin's shoulder before the woman could leave. Rayn was nervous as the snappy redhead glared at her; Rayn took a deep breath before speaking. "Miss Ashelin, this is supposed to be a _team_ effort."

Ashelin leaned towards Rayn, and then sneered, "I can't come to trust somebody who's a burden to the 'team'." Just as Ark was ready to jump on the defensive, Ashelin left, causing Torn to sigh.

"I wonder about her sometimes," he mattered to himself before turning to look at the rest of the crew. "Well, it's time for the next race. I'm going in to win as well." Daxter, who had just finished his breakfast, climbed down from the bar before going over to Jak and jumping onto his shoulder with a grim expression.

"Well, somebody here had better win, or I'm going to be very pissed... and very dead." Jak grinned at the ottsel. "Trust me, Dax; we've got this thing in the bag." The blonde then left the lounge. Rayn clenched her fists tightly at her sides.

"That Ashelin, oh, she makes me so mad! She fussed while stomping her foot. Ark lit a cigar, and then took a smoke.

"I'm kinda thinkin' that she's onto you," he said before biting down on the cigar again. Rayn gave a light "hmph" as she folded her arms over her chest.

"Yeah right. Anyway, let's head to the track—the Deathdrome race is about to begin." Rayn gave a light cackle, and then grinned darkly. "Let's see if she will survive this." Ark shrugged, and then followed Rayn.

Jak and Daxter were working on their car as they talked.

"Dax, we'd be much better off if Keira were here," Jak said as he wiped the grease on his hands onto a clothe before he stood up and stretched. "None of us here are even half the mechanic she is." Daxter held up the wrench in his paw before smiling at Jak.

"Aww, Jakky's starting to miss Keira." Jak rolled his eyes as Daxter climbed onto his shoulder. "Jak, as much crap as you tell me, you should be telling her." The man looked at the ottsel with slight irritation.

"Yeah, because I can tell anybody anything when I don't even know where the hell they are," Jak said before sighing. Just as he squatted down to put the finishing touches on the Road Blade, Daxter groaned, causing Jak to look up at him. "What?" The ottsel pouted.

"Here comes ol' tin grin himself," the ottsel grumbled. It was at that exact moment that G.T. Blitz placed his hand on Jak's shoulder, causing the blonde to look at him. "Can we help you?" G.T. chuckled.

"I just wanted to let you newbies know that you are finally going to see what I've been talking about all along... What makes this the most watched sport in the world...ultimate speed and complete danger. I hope you didn't eat breakfast this morning, or you'll find it all over your suit later. Ha ha ha haaa..." Just as G.T. said something about breakfast, Daxter whined as he placed his paws on his stomach. He then looked over at Jak.

"We're not afraid, right Jak? ... Right, Jak?" The ottsel got impatient and glared at his best friend. "HEY! Say some hero stuff!" Jak rolled his eyes and shook his head as he removed G.T.'s hand from his shoulder before continuing with the touch-up of his vehicle. Even as Jak worked and tried to ignore G.T., the commissioner continued talking.

"Welcome to one of the fastest tracks in the world—this is the Deathdrome! Many people have died on those lanes chasing a sad dream," G.T. explained before slapping Jak on the back. "Make the crowd scream for me!" The commissioner then chuckled as he began walking away. "Good luck, you'll need it... more than I need ratings." Jak grunted, and then stood up before cleaning his hands off.

"That guy can try as he might, but I'll be damned if I back down from anything," Jak said as he cleaned up his tools. He handed the tools to a race technician before he climbed into the Road Blade. "C'mon, Dax, we've got a race to win." Daxter climbed onto the rear fender, and then held on tight.

"I still think you should get another seat installed," the ottsel insisted. Jak shifted gears and edged towards the starting line before grinning at Daxter.

"It's almost been five years and three adventures and you're still as sheltered as you were when we were kids," Jak told Daxter before laughing. "You're amazing, Dax." When the ottsel opened his mouth to reply, Jak shifted gears once more, and then slammed his foot on the pedal when the light turned green; the only thing that came out of Daxter's mouth when the race car shot forward was, "YAAAH!"

**BD: Ta-da:D Hope you enjoyed and stuff. Once again, please lemme know if it's okay for me to follow through with the entire game of Jak X. Holds up the Jak X Script. I'm following this baby! And just so you all know… Ark's identity will be revealed in 23 chapters—Keira maybe 45. She'll be showing up after the First Grand Prix so be patient. ;D Much luff and I simply loooove reviews!**

**Oh yeah… about the Deathdrome thing… That may be wrong. I have to check the game and stuff… Following fan-made scripts sometimes aren't safe. ;**


	7. Chapter 6

**BD: Okay… I have recently learned that I can't use hyphens… All righty then. XD About the last message, it's supposed to be… TWO TO THREE and FOUR TO FIVE, not TWENTY-THREE and FORTY-FIVE. So… No, I'm not gonna torture you poor people. XP I love you too much. Well, for once I'm gonna straight up and type this thing—usually I write it out before I type it. My thumb's feeling painful because I cut it with my Naruto Ninja Headband, which has very sharp edges. :D So yeah… Enjoy.**

**Disclaimer: Check chapter five and four and three and two and one… they'll tell you stuff. D:**

Chapter Six

"Whew, finally, it's over!" Daxter said as he flopped onto Jak's head. Jak arched an eyebrow, and then pulled the ottsel off of his head before placing him down on the counter in the Broadcast Station lounge.

"Yeah, but this is just the beginning," Jak replied with a grin before lifting up his mug of soda (hey, Jak's bad ass but he's not that bad XP) and taking a swig. The ottsel groaned and laid his face against the counter. "Ugh… the First Grand Prix is after tomorrow, right?"

"Yeah."

"Geez… And I bet whoever we're racing is gonna be even crazier than those two goons from the Bloody Hook," the ottsel whined while shaking his head. Jak shook his head at the ottsel as he continued drinking his soda. That's when Torn entered into the lounge and took a seat next to Jak before gaining the attention of the barmaid.

"Gin on the rocks," Torn said before leaning against the counter and looking over at Jak. "Seems like you're enjoying yourself out there." Jak placed his mug on the counter, and then laughed lightly.

"Why wouldn't I? I'm not gonna let some crap Krew pulled off ruin what I do best." Torn arched an eyebrow and smirked as the barmaid placed his drink in front of him. "Still as cocky as ever. I wish I could say the same." Torn took a sip of his drink. "I was never quite the racer." Daxter lifted his head from the counter.

"Yeah, I kinda figured that," the ottsel said, gaining a death glare and a growl from the striped-face man. Daxter cowered away from Torn, causing Jak to laugh. Torn rolled his eyes then lowered his head and stared at his drink as he stirred it with the orange umbrella inside.

"All I can do is put my faith in you, Jak," he said before looking up at the blonde. Torn grunted. "Well, I'm not putting _all_ my faith in you. Hell, I still have pride." Jak chuckled as Torn drank the rest of his gin and stood up. Torn saluted. "Anyway, I'm going out with Ashelin to a club. You wanna come?" Jak shook his head.

"I'm good. See you in the morning."

"Yeah." With that, Torn headed out of the lounge just as Ark entered it. Jak arched an eyebrow at the green-haired man as he drank the rest of his soda. Daxter sat up, and then leaned towards Jak. "What does the Masked Wonder want?" Ark glared at the ottsel.

"'Ey, I heard that! An' I'm here to talk to blondie," Ark said as he sat down where Torn had been. Jak leaned against the counter and looked over at Ark.

"You know… I _do_ have a name." Ark grinned.

"I know that much but where's the fun in that, huh? Anyway, I just wanted to letcha'll know that there's some suave guy in the garage." Jak and Daxter looked at one another in confusion until Ark said, "That guy from the Bloody Hook." The two nodded until Daxter frowned and pointed at Ark.

"Hey… How do you know about that?" he asked, causing Ark to chuckle. "Well, lil' buddy, when ya got friends that decide they wanna crash into bars an' make a scene, news gets aroun' fast." Ark then took out a cigar before biting down on it as he frisked himself for a lighter. "Anyway, seems like that guy wants to settle a score or somethin'. I suggest you go an' handle your business, 'ey blondie?" Jak took out a lighter, and then tossed it to Ark as he stood up and headed out of the lounge. Daxter hopped onto his friend's shoulder.

"Yeah, I guess I will," Jak said before glaring at Daxter, "Since his business always ends up becoming mine." The ottsel laughed nervously.

Upon entering the garage, sure enough, Razer was there observing the Road Blade while smoking his cigarette. Daxter dropped down from Jak's shoulder and followed him as he approached Razer.

"Next time you and your thugs want a fight, maybe you should pick on someone your own size," Jak said angrily as he pointed at Razer. The black-haired smoker turned around, then quirked an eyebrow once Jak was standing before him. Razer removed the cigarette from his mouth, and then exhaled the smoke as he looked the shorter racer over.

"My, my, I finally get to meet the great racer, Jak," he said with added enthusiasm. Daxter hopped up onto Jak's shoulder and held onto his shoulder guard as he leaned to the side. The ottsel smiled earnestly. "And…?" Razer looked at Daxter, and then arched an eyebrow.

"And what?" Daxter frowned, and then pointed at himself. "What about me?" Razer squinted for a moment before saying; "Aaah…" as Daxter's appearance came to his recollection. The retired racer took a smoke, and then chuckled.

"Oh yes, you're the loudmouth storyteller from the bar," he said bluntly, causing Daxter to grumble and hop down from Jak's shoulder. With the ottsel gone, Razer began to slowly walk around Jak. Jak's eyes followed him as he glared at him. "But Jak... Jak, Jak, Jak. Your reputation precedes you." Razer stopped his round about once he was in front of Jak and placed his hand on his shoulder briefly before taking a small bow. "Oh, but I'm forgetting my manners. My name is Razer. Maybe you've heard of me? I work for Mizo." Taking another smoke, Razer exhaled before adding in, "Eventually everyone does." Jak grunted and folded his arms over his chest.

"I don't consider myself to be 'everyone'," he said before dropping his arms at his sides. "Besides, I'm from out of town." Razer rubbed his chin as he began circling Jak again.

"Yes, you are, aren't you? And you're showing up my boys on the track out there. Uhhmmhmmhmmm..." he said. Jak was surprised when Razer suddenly jumped on the offensive and leaned towards him. "Don't make me put on my goggles and show you how it's done. You wouldn't live long enough to see me cross the finish line." Regaining his composure, the blonde narrowed his eyes at the taller man before smirking.

"I'm ready whenever you are." Razer arched an eyebrow at this before running his hand over his hair and replying. "Oh, I'm sure we'll match up soon enough. The race of the century, eh?" Razer thought about it, and then slightly pouted as he gave a quick "hmph." Shrugging, he turned and headed out of the garage. "In the meantime, watch your back. I've heard someone arranged a few surprises this time out." On his way out, Razer gave a snobbish laugh, receiving glares from both Jak and Daxter. Daxter then hopped onto Jak's shoulder.

"Ya know I really hate his type." Jak glanced at Daxter and walked over to the Road Blade.

"Trust me—I don't think anyone in the world would," Jak said as he walked around the Road Blade. "You think we should upgrade this baby tonight? We didn't have much time between races." Daxter putted the back of his paw against his forehead, then leaned backwards to make a dramatic pose.

"Oh Jak, I'm so exhausted." Jak rolled his eyes before looking at the ottsel with the least amount of amusement.

"Yeah right. Funny that the one who does the least amount of work is always exhausted," the blonde said before folding his arms and stepping back from the vehicle. He scanned over it before looking at Daxter. "Okay, fine, we won't upgrade tonight. I'm sure you'd prefer waking up early and working on it." Daxter frowned at this.

"Waking up _early_! Jak, seriously, why is it ALWAYS a double-edged sword with you?" the ottsel whined, causing his larger friend to chuckle. Jak then walked over to a shelf before grabbing a toolbox and digging through it for the necessary tools.

"Our opponents might have a little bit more motivation after today," Jak told Daxter. Once he had the necessary tools, Jak went over to the pushcart that had the upgrades on it. He wheeled the cart over to the Road Blade. "If you wanna live, Dax, you gotta put in the effort to wanna win." The ottsel sighed, and then jumped down from Jak's shoulder.

"Fine, you win. Instead of partying hard and enjoying myself out in the city while I'm still alive," the ottsel began before glaring at Jak, "I guess I'll just spend my evening with you." Jak laughed at Daxter, and then rubbed his head.

"Yeah, because best friends make sacrifices, eh?" Daxter rolled his eyes and pouted as he began unbolting the current front fender. "Please, Jak… don't give me that sentimental crap." Jak arched an eyebrow at Daxter, and then simply laughed.

**BD: OKAY. ONCE AGAIN, ARK IDENTITY TWO TO THREE CHAPTERS IN THE FUTURE; KEIRA'S APPEARNCE FOUR TO FIVE CHAPTERS IN THE FUTURE. Theeeere… :D Safety. Those times may be shortened—if you don't mind long chapters, hell, the special stuff will occur sooner. Much luff. I love you all and I simply loooove reviews! X3**


	8. Chapter 7

**BD: Yes… all of your worries should be gone now. There is no 45 or 23 chapter wait. XD Hell, I have no life and this day has been next to zero when it comes to productivity. So here you are—I'm gonna hit you with a THIRD chapter. Hell, maybe even a forth if my ass stops hurting in this chair. :D Anyway, enjoy!**

**Disclaimer: Refer to Chapter Six.**

Chapter Seven

Jak stepped out of the shower, and then tilted his head aside with a frown. He did his best to get the water out of his ear before tilting his head to the other side to clear out his other ear. Grabbing a towel, Jak dried himself off before wrapping the towel around his waist and walking over to the sink and going through the cabinet. He pulled out a bottle of shaving cream and a razor before spraying the cream onto his hands and rubbing it onto the areas where he was developing a five o'clock shadow. As he placed the blade of the razor against his face and got ready to shave, he jumped and nearly cut himself when Daxter banged on the door.

"Hey! I know you have to keep up the good looks for the fan girls, but I need to get in there!" the ottsel complained. Jak rolled his eyes, and then proceeded with shaving.

"Hold on, will ya, Dax? I'll be out in a couple minutes." Daxter rolled his eyes as well and frowned as he leaned against the door. "Ya know that's the same thing Tess would tell me before an outing. And just so you know, we always ended up late!" Jak glared at the door before continuing to shave.

"Well in case you forgot Dax, I'm not a woman. Go occupy yourself or something." Daxter pushed himself off of the door, and then walked away as he grumbled about occupying himself. Within a matter of minutes, Jak had finished shaving and had even put in the effort to trim his sideburns and his goatee. He then walked out of the bathroom and stared at Daxter: he was drunk. There was a mini bar in the room and the ottsel just _had_ to treat himself to a good portion of drinks in the cabinet. Jak put his hands on his hips, then sighed and shook his head.

"I didn't take that long… And did you really have to get drunk—we have to race in an hour!" Jak fussed as he pointed at the clock—it read that it was a couple minutes before eight. Daxter drank the rest of the purple stuff in his champagne glass before dropping from the mini bar counter and stumbling over to Jak.

"No yoush donz tellz me whas to dooosh, aw rish?" the ottsel slurred. Jak growled at him until the bedroom doors opened and Rayn was standing in the door way. She was looking at her electronic notepad (I dub thee e-pad) as she approached Jak.

"I want you to give it your all today and show those other racers what you're really made of," she said as she read over the e-pad. "Yesterday was great but I'm sure you can do better—tomorrow is the real deal…" When she looked up at Jak, her eyes widened as she dropped the e-pad—he was still wearing a towel. "…Jak." The blonde blinked. "What…?" Rayn turned a light shade of pink and laughed nervously as she zoned her eyes in on her e-pad and knelt down to pick it up. "Um… It's, it's nothing. Erm… are you, uh, ready to race?" Jak folded his arms over his chest and frowned as he looked down at Daxter.

"No. I still have to wait for our little friend here—he decided he wanted to get drunk." Rayn furrowed her eyebrows as she slowly rose. "So early in the morning?" Daxter stumbled towards Jak and Rayn.

"Oh, stopsh chashtishing meez… I'mma gesh reashy rish noooow…" The ottsel tripped over his feet, and in order to catch his balance, he grabbed onto Jak's towel and pulled on it. "Whoosh… That wash closh..." Daxter released the towel, but when he stepped forward, the towel fell onto him. Rayn was half-way between kneeling and standing up when she saw the towel fall, her eyes becoming as big as melons as her face turned bright red. Jak quickly dropped his hands to cover himself and he laughed nervously while Daxter crawled towards the bathroom while still covered with the towel. It was at this moment that Ashelin entered the room.

"Jak, you ready for…" She simply stared at the blonde with wide eyes as even her cheeks turned a light shade of pink. Torn, who was following behind Ashelin, arched an eyebrow. "What is it?" When he entered the room, his eyes went wide before he quickly covered Ashelin's eyes.

"Jak, what the hell are you doing?" Jak was about to lift his hand to explain but he kept himself covered. Before he could explain himself, Torn had dragged the stunned Ashelin out of the room. By this time, Rayn had finally regained her composure and bowed to Jak before quickly exiting the room.

"I'll see you at the Bloody Hook—good-bye!" she said quickly as she darted out of the room. Jak glared in Daxter's direction and at that moment, the bathroom door slammed shut. The blonde growled as he edged towards the bedroom door before kicking it shut.

"You better stay in there—for once, I might have to kill you!"

Just as Jak and Daxter entered the Bloody Hook, Rayn and Ashelin immediately dropped their heads as they avoided the urge to giggle. Torn stared at Jak for a moment, and then shook his head before muttering to himself, "I bet Keira would have died to see that." Jak rubbed the back of his head as Daxter shook his head.

"Way to go, Jak. Showing yourself off in front of them—you should be ashamed!" the ottsel said as he shook his finger at Jak. Daxter then groaned and held his paw to his forehead. "Ugh…I need to take something before we race." Jak glared at the ottsel and before he could fuss at him, Daxter had hopped off his shoulder and had gone to the bar counter to ask for something to clear up his hangover. It was at this time that Ark came behind Jak and pulled the blonde into a headlock. As Jak struggled, Ark tightened his grip.

"The hell did you think you were doin', ya damn flasher!" Ark hissed at Jak as he dragged him towards the bar. Jak tried to pull Ark's arm from around his neck as he gasped out, "It wasn't like I meant to do it—it was an accident!" The masked man growled at Jak.

"Yeah righ'! So much for you havin' a girl—you're just out for my Raynnie!" Jak finally managed to get Ark to let go of him before holding his own throat and gasping for air. Jak glared at Ark.

"To hell with that—it was a damn accident!" Ashelin looked over at the two. She was still a little pink in the face.

"Will you two be quiet? The broadcast is about to begin." Ark and Jak glared at one another before Jak went over to the counter and sat down where Daxter was. The ottsel had just taken a few pills and had a drink before he lied down on his back. Torn looked over at Ashelin with an arched eyebrow.

"Since when have you been an avid fan of that guy's show?" he asked. Ashelin grunted and rolled her eyes.

"I'm not. He might have something important to say and I don't want to miss it," she said before looking over at him. "Especially if it has anything to do with me surviving this race." Torn held up his hands in surrender and turned to look at the television as it switched on. Everyone looked up at the screen as G.T. showed up on it.

"Welcome back to the G.T. Blitz show. Sadly, the network has decided in their infinitesimally small wisdom to add a co-host to my show. Hmmph... I can't imagine anyone outshining yours truly, but alas, please give a lukewarm welcome to my new "color" commentator as it were..." G.T. furrowed his eyebrows at the screen that was feeding him the lines before he arched an eyebrow. "Mister…eh…Pecker?" The camera shifted to the right as the infamous monkaw flapped onto the screen before perching on the balcony.

"Thank you G.T. and hello to all you peoples out there watching. I'd like to thank the network for choosing me to save this anemic little show," Pecker greeted. G.T. gritted his teeth, and then forced a laugh.

"HA! Ha... ha... Yes, well, welcome aboard... Pecker." The commissioner glared at the monkaw, then looked at the camera as he tried to force a smile. Daxter, who had been lying on his back, quickly jumped up and pointed at the screen.

"That's it! Who's his agent?" the ottsel asked angrily. He placed his arms behind his back and kicked the air as he laid his ears against his head. "Pecker always gets the sweet gigs in these adventures." Jak chuckled until Daxter turned around and pointed at him. "Why am I always stuck with you?" Jak rolled his eyes and Daxter flopped down onto the counter before falling onto his back again. Jak returned his attention to the television.

"My first network assignment has been to investigate the rumored "super bet" on this year's big championship race. Sources say a high level underworld crime connection is involved," Pecker explained, trying to make the explanation as dramatic as possible with his voice and hand motions. He then frowned and brought his feathered fingers together before tapping them against one another. "But sadly my sources won't return calls, and are now missing and are probably dead! But Pecker is not so easily swayed. I will uncover the truth and report my findings right here on our show, G.T." G.T. looked at Pecker, and then rolled his eyes before looking away as he folded his arms over his chest.

"Of course you will," he grumbled before forcing yet another smile as he returned his attention to Pecker. "And let me just say it's gonna be SO great working with you." Pecker laughed lightly, and then gave the commissioner a hard slap on the back. "You too, Blitz-man." When G.T. jerked forward, his hair went with as well as it almost fell off of his head. As he adjusted it back onto his scalp, Pecker laughed nervously as he patted G.T.'s arm. "Eh heh… Oops." Once his hair was in place, G.T. glared at the monkaw as he lifted his hands.

"Why you little bird shi…" He immediately reached out and grabbed Pecker by his neck and proceeded to choke him. The technical difficulties screen immediately popped up and Jak and Daxter stared at the screen before looking at one another.

"You still want that job, Dax?" The ottsel scratched the side of his head, and then stood up. "Well, um, Jak… I think I'll stick with racing." When Jak got up, Daxter hopped onto his shoulder as Jak left the Bloody Hook. Once in the entrance, Jak turned around and nodded to everyone.

"Well… I guess it's time to race." Ashelin and Torn got up, and then headed towards the exit as well. Once they were all gone, Ark rushed over to Rayn, and then wrapped his arms around her.

"Please don't tell me you liked what you saw! You know you'll break my heart, Raynnie!" Ark whined as he tightened his hold on Rayn. The woman gasped for air before finally pushing him off of her. She turned around on the bar stool and glared at Ark.

"Will you control yourself? This is all just business!" she told him before standing up and grabbing her e-pad off the counter. With her back turned to him, Rayn looked over her shoulder at Ark and smirked. "And really… What if I did like what I saw? Actually, Jak does have a nice body…" Ark's eyes filled with tears and he dropped to his knees as he hugged Rayn's legs.

"Don't tell me you're leavin' me for him! Tell me anythin' but that, Raynnie!" he cried. Rayn hit him over the head with her e-pad, causing him to let go.

"Cut it out! I have more important things to worry about than men!" After she said this, she walked out of the Bloody Hook, causing Ark to release a sigh of relied. He got up, and then thought for a minute before freaking out.

"More important things! Oh c'mon, Raynnie!" he called out before running after her.

Jak walked into the Bloody Hook with Daxter following him before he took a seat at the bar, ordering two sodas. He yawned, and then patted his face. Daxter blinked, and then patted Jak's face as well, causing Jak to bare his teeth at him. Daxter backed away and frowned.

"Awww…what was that for? I was just trying to help," the ottsel said as the mugs of soda were placed on the counter. Jak glanced at Daxter, and then drank some of his soda.

"I'm tired, in case you haven't noticed." Daxter lay on his stomach, and then rested his head in his paws as he kicked his legs over his head. "Jak, I've never known you to sleep a full eight hours like normal people do and you're tired for once?" The ottsel stood up, then placed his paw on Jak's shoulder. "Explain your situation to me, buddy."

"Well…" Just as Jak got ready to speak, G.T. entered the Bloody Hook before smiling at Jak. He stood some distance away from the younger, true blonde as he began to talk.

"There you are Jak. Getting some local color?" G.T. chuckled and leaned towards Jak before saying, "You certainly need it—you're positively pale on screen." Jak glanced at G.T. on that comment, and then rolled his eyes as the commissioner returned to his original position. "Listen, I just wanted to tell your group that you can earn cool gadgets by performing odd jobs for the Commission and others." After Jak had drunk some of his soda, he placed his mug down and looked up at G.T.

"What kinda jobs?" Daxter turned to look at the commissioner with a tad of skepticism. "What kinda gadgets?" G.T. smiled and gave them both a thumbs up. "Good stuff!" He then dropped his hands at his sides as he proceeded to explain the situation.

"For instance, there are some dirt forming robots that went berserk in the Kras Dirt Stadium. They need to be destroyed before someone gets hurt. Hunt them all down and you'll be rewarded," he explained. Jak grinned at this. "Sounds good." Daxter looked at Jak, and then frowned as he returned his attention to G.T. "Sounds dangerous!" G.T. laughed for a bit before becoming serious again.

"It is…" He smiled and proceeded to talk in a more encouraging tone of voice. "But the prizes are good, and you'll need them." His smile turned into a competitive grin as he placed his hand on the counter and leaned towards the two. "That is if you want to continue upgrading your car to keep up with the Joneses." G.T. chuckled, and then pushed himself off the counter before heading out of the bar.

"The job's waiting if you want it. But be careful," he said as he came to a stop. He looked over his shoulder and grinned at Jak, "We wouldn't want to hurt one of our star up and coming racers." With that, G.T. left and Daxter quickly turned to Jak.

"Are you crazy enough to…" Jak smirked and the ottsel could only sigh as his best friend got up. "Why do I even bother?" Daxter jumped onto Jak's shoulder and the two left to complete the offered assignment.

After their mission, Jak and Daxter walked onto the track for their last couple of races for the day. That's where they met up with Ashelin and Torn, who were working on Ashelin's car. Torn looked up at Jak.

"Where were you?" he asked.

"Was taking care of something for the commission," Jak replied before looking at Ashelin's car. He whistled. "I see you got some upgrades." Ashelin stood up and stroked Torn under his chin.

"Actually, he got the upgrades and gave them to me." Daxter dropped down from Jak's shoulder and grinned as he approached Ashelin.

"So if I get you upgrades, do I get a scratch on the back?" Ashelin curled up her fist and bared her teeth at Daxter just as Rayn and Ark came walking in. Rayn smiled at Jak; Ark was glaring at Jak because he still saw him as a threat to his "beloved Raynnie." Jak ignored him as he focused on Rayn.

"Jak, you're getting great points for the season," she told him before frowning as she held her e-pad to her chest. "Unfortunately, I heard a nasty rumor that someone's throwing big money around hiring top mercenary drivers to race. Whoever it is, they want to beat us badly." Ashelin glanced at Rayn before she looked at Jak.

"I hear these new drivers are getting bonuses for kills, and I'm sure they wouldn't think twice about cheating to win." Daxter jumped onto Jak's shoulder, and then sighed as he leaned against the blonde's head.

"Oh great! That's all we need." Torn, who was occupied with upgrading Ashelin's car, lifted his head up when he heard heavy footsteps before standing up when he saw a large red robot and Razer approaching them. "You guys think he's a racer?" Ashelin frowned as she looked at the robot.

"Sadly, I'm guessing yes." Razer and the robot walked up to the group. Razer grinned as he took a smoke from his always-at-hand cigarette.

"Well, well… if it isn't the rat," he said to Jak before looking to Daxter, "And his mangy animal." The ottsel folded his arms over his chest and rolled his eyes. "Oh, you're a riot." Razer chuckled, and then slowly walked around the red robot.

"Have you met Mizo's newest racer? This is UR-86, the deadliest driver on the planet," Razer said. He paused, and then laughed snobbishly. "Well, behind me, of course. '86 holds some of the top records for kills in a single event. Even I have to watch out for this one." UR-86 turned and looked at Daxter before picking him up by his head and twirling him around. Jak growled at this, causing Razer to chuckle once more. Razer leaned towards Daxter.

"Oh, don't be shy. This bucket of bolts loves living things…" Razer then turned to Jak and quickly approached him as he spat, "So he can make then dead." Razer signaled his hand and UR-86 dropped Daxter before following Razer. The smoker laughed to himself before waving to Jak. "Good luck out there."

Jak gritted his teeth, then kneeled down and picked up Daxter. "You all right, Dax?" The ottsel grabbed his head as he tried to stop his body from moving due to the dizziness.

"Yeah… never felt better." Torn folded his arms as he watched UR-86 and Razer walk away.

"I wonder when we face him." Ashelin placed her hand on her hip as she looked in the direction of their opponents. "I wouldn't be surprised if we raced against him in the Grand Prix tomorrow."

"Oh c'mon," Ark said. "I know ya'll ain't afraid of a bucket a' bolts." Rayn placed her hand on Ark's chest and shook her head.

"Ark, if this Mizo has hired a robot to race against us, I'm sure there's more to him than meets the eye." Daxter shook his head, and then climbed onto Jak's shoulder.

"That thing's a robot—of course there's more to it! I wouldn't be surprised if he tore us apart!" the ottsel protested. He then folded his arms over his chest. "I'm in favor of NOT racing in the Grand Prix tomorrow." Ashelin shifted her weight and looked at the ottsel.

"So, you're in favor of dying from poison?" she asked with a narrowed eye. Daxter held up his finger and opened his mouth to speak, then quickly dropped his paw before frowning. "…You have a point." Jak shook his head, and then punched his fist into his hand.

"I'm ready. Now, let's end this day and win the rest of these races." The group nodded to one another before everyone returned to their cars to complete the rest of the races.

Jak entered his bedroom, and then stumbled a couple steps forward before collapsing onto his bed. It was two midnight and he had just spent his evening upgrading his car. Having nothing else better to do and not wanting to go to the club or anything, he volunteered to upgrade Ashelin and Torn's cars. After that, he had a long conversation, or rather chastising lecture, from Samos about not forgetting to find Keira and that Samos was all the least bit thrilled about ruling Haven City. Jak buried his face in his pillow and groaned. _Just what did I do wrong in life? Really?_ he thought. _Ya know… I'm hoping this race doesn't end—once I'm put on the throne, that's it. I'm stuck._ Lifting his hand, Jak sent a wave of Light Eco energy towards the bedroom door before closing it. Within a matter of moments, he had fallen asleep. Tomorrow was the big day.

**BD: Ho-ah. :D Hope you enjoyed… Had to throw in some good humor. X3 The best is coming so hold your yakows! ;D Love you all and your ever-so luscious reviews. XD**


	9. Chapter 8

**BD: I'm glad you guys are taking a liking to Ark… X3 I make such lovable characters… Anyway, the moment of truth has arisen—Ark's identity will now be revealed! So get the drum roll started and cling to your seats—it's time for the fun to begin.**

**Disclaimer: Refer to Chapter Seven. :D**

Chapter Eight—The Moment of Truth!

Jak entered the Broadcast Station lounge and yawned before flopping down on the couch. When Daxter had jumped off of his shoulder, Jak fell over and drifted off to sleep. He kept waking up during the course of the night, and when Daxter crawled into bed with him, Jak freaked out, causing everyone in the mansion to wake up as well. However, everyone still turned out to be much more rested than he was. Maybe all he needed was a cup of coffee…

Jak snorted when he felt something poke at his head and he mumbled something as he waved his hand. The thing poked him again and Jak growled before turning onto his face, only to receive constant pokes in the back of his head. Jak reached back and grabbed the finger that was poking him before sitting up and glaring at his assailant—it was Ark. The green-haired man laughed while Jak merely grunted and sat up.

"Do you have anything better to do than get on my nerves?" Jak asked as he glared at Ark. Ark took a seat next to Jak, and then rubbed his chin.

"Uuuh… nope!" Jak rolled his eyes, and then looked at the television as it switched on. "Of course you don't…" As G.T. showed up on the panel, Daxter sat down next to Jak and handed him a mug of coffee.

"There ya go, buddy. If ya need to OD on caffeine pills, just let me know!" the ottsel encouraged. Jak took the mug, and then shook his head before taking a sip. "Yeah, thanks Dax…" He then returned his attention to the television.

"Hello speed lovers! We're live once again for the biggest sport on the planet. It looks like the competition's really heating up. As are the piles of smoldering wrecks on the side of the road," G.T. said before putting his hand to his head and laughing. He then dropped his hand and grinned broadly as he leaned towards the camera and winked. "Stay tuned for all the fireworks." With that said, the panels switched off and Daxter sat there rubbing his chin.

"How does he get that sheen in his hair?" the ottsel asked as he furrowed his eyebrows in thought. Ark leaned forward and rubbed his chin as well. "Yeah, I been tryin' to figure that one out for years…" Jak shook his head and drank his coffee before looking up at Ashelin when she spoke.

"I guess we'll see some pros out there today." Torn shrugged, then leaned against the bar counter. "It is the Grand Prix after all… I'm not feeling to good about this though. I guess you could qualify any lunatic driver as a 'pro'." Rayn sighed.

"Oh joy…" She then glanced up at the television before frowning. "That Blitz fellow gives me the creeps and the smarmy blighter's even worse in person. If only he were—" Rayn was cut off when G.T. entered the room in his usual cocky poise. He stopped once he was in the doorway, and then shaped his fingers like guns before winking at them.

"Hey people, did you catch my broadcast?" he asked before whistling and putting his hands on his hips. "You've got some serious competition today. People have been betting big. They say this championship is gonna come down to you guys and Mizo's dream team." G.T. chuckled, and then grinned at the group. "Still, the odds makers say your team falls short."

"That's because most fools haven't figured me into the mix!" That's when Sig walked into the lounge, holding his Peacemaker on his shoulder. Daxter and Jak smiled, and then jumped up. "Sig!" G.T. narrowed his eyes for a brief moment before smiling as he made a hand signal for his camera to look at Sig.

"Is my camera out of focus? The great Sig has entered the competition. This is going to be," G.T. said as he templed his fingers and looked around before hesitantly saying, "Better than I thought! But, if you'll excuse me…" He cleared his throat, and then made his way out of the lounge. "I've got some real interviews to do." Sig glared at the commissioner as he made his hasty exit. "Yeah, you do that." While Sig was looking away, Ark quickly slid behind the couch. When the large man turned around, he then made his way down the stairs.

"Sorry I'm late for the party, guys. I heard about Krew's little potion." He stopped, and then placed his Peacemaker down. "That's why I never drink on the job. I say never trust a dead man." Sig turned to the group, and then nodded before smiling. "Don't worry; I'll help you get that antidote." Ashelin narrowed her eyes.

"Easy for you to say—your life's not on the line," she said. Sig glanced at her, and then lowered his eyes. "For my friends, it is." Jak then got up and Daxter hopped onto his shoulder as Jak then held out his hand.

"Good to have you back, Sig," he said with a smile. Sig grabbed Jak's hand, and then shook it as he grinned and nodded. "Great to be back!" Sig then released Jak's hand before taking a bottle off of his belt and handing it to Jak.

"Here's the concoction from Samos. This outta slow the poison for an additional week," he said as Jak took the bottle. Rayn stood up, and then walked over to Jak, who then handed her the bottle. Rayn nodded, and then looked up at Sig before smiling.

"Good day, Sig," she greeted. Sig looked down at her, and then laughed.

"Well, if it isn't little Rayn. I haven't seen you in years!" he said as he pulled her into a bear hug. Rayn gasped for air and laughed weakly before she was placed back down on the ground. "I'd say about five." Sig nodded and rubbed his chin before frowning.

"That's right… And I haven't seen that dough boy Ark in that long either! Where is that idiot?" Sig asked as he looked around the lounge. Torn arched an eyebrow as he watched Ark cower behind the couch before he leaned forward a bit.

"Right there," Torn stated before taking his cup of coffee and drinking it. Jak arched an eyebrow and watched as Sig walked over to the couch before reaching behind it and grabbed Ark by the crook of his neck. Daxter tilted his head aside, and then pointed at Ark.

"You know this country bumpkin?" the ottsel asked. Ark shot a glare at him. "I resent that!" Sig gave Ark a light shake and the man curled into a ball even as Sig continued to hold him.

"Of course I do. How can I forget a stupid face like his?" the large man said as he glared at Ark before dropping him onto the couch. "Besides, he's the son of—" Ark's eyes widened and he jumped up to cover Sig's mouth. Sig was surprised by this until he shoved Ark onto the couch. "Get the hell off me before I kick your scrawny ass!" Ark lifted up a finger in protest.

"But, Siggy, I really don't think…" Sig glared at him and Ark immediately shut up. Sig then cleared his throat before continuing to talk. "As I was saying, his pathetic hide is the son of—"

"Moose!" Ark cried out before jumping up and running around. Ashelin arched an eyebrow and looked at Torn. "Who is that?" Torn shook his head. "Hell if I know." Sig tightened his fists as he watched Ark.

"God… This idiot is—"

"Yakow boy! Yakow boy!" Ark yelled as he flapped his arms and continued running around, dipping and dodging out of Sig's way as the larger man tried to grab him. Rayn placed her fingers against her temples and rubbed them as she shook his head. "Why did father have to let this moron be my bodyguard?" Daxter arched an eyebrow, and then whispered to Jak, "Ya know… I think this guy's insane. Then again, I kinda thought that from day one."

Sig growled, then grabbed Ark by his hair and jerked him over to him. "Get your ass over here!" It was at that moment that Ark's mask fell off and he quickly tried to cover his face. Jak caught a glimpse of him and he narrowed his eyes as he edged closer towards Ark. _That face… He looks like…_ Sig shook Ark, and then pulled him into a headlock.

"This guy here is Damas's son," Sig told everyone, causing Ark to freak out even more as he tried to get Sig to let go. Sig then looked up at Jak and said, "Which means he's your older brother." Torn, Ashelin, and Daxter all looked at Jak who just stood there, dumbfounded and astonished. Daxter then made a face of disgust as he looked at Ark.

"Man… I feel sorry for you, Jak. You get to be related to an idiot." Jak stumbled back, and then fell onto the couch before rubbing his forehead.

"Oh my God…" he said before looking at Ark, who Sig had finally let go. "You're my…" Ark stood to his feet, and then laughed sheepishly as he rubbed the back of his head before waving to Jak.

"Uh…been a while, hasn't it, Mar?" Jak could only shake his head. "This…is just." Ashelin leaned towards Torn, then whispered, "No wonder he seemed so familiar… He and Jak look almost alike…" Rayn cleared her throat, gaining everyone's attention.

"I know this is a shock, everyone, but we have a race to win. We'll talk about how Ark and Jak managed to share genes later. For now, let's race," she said. Sig nodded, and then cracked his neck before grinning.

"Let's see about this so called 'competition'. We have two races to do before me can qualify for the big event of the day. I'm ready when you cherries are!" Rayn smiled, and then held up the bottle.

"I shall distribute this now." Jak was still a bit shocked as he nodded slowly. "Yeah… You do that." He then looked at Ark before narrowing his eyes. "You have a lot of explaining to do." Ark laughed sheepishly and rubbed his neck.

"I guess I do, huh?"

**BD: Ta-da! And there you have it. Ark's identity. I'm feeling hungry and my butt hurts Soooo…. Yeah, Ark'll explain the whole situation in the next chapter. Hope you enjoyed. X3 Reviews greatly appreciated!**


	10. Chapter 9

**BD: Ho-ah! And there you have it. Noooow… we're edging close to Keira's appearance, my luffs. X3 Then it's down hill from there… though… Xx; I'm only a fourth through the Script. Ah well, I shall proceed and see what else I can milk from my muse before she goes dry.**

**Disclaimer: Refer to Chapter Eight. D:**

Chapter Nine

"Well, that's two gold medals in the bag. You ready for the real deal, Dax?" Jak asked the ottsel as he held up the two medals. The ottsel sighed and shook his head as he laid his ears against his head.

"I wasn't even ready for those races… How much longer until the race?" Jak pushed his bedroom door open, and then looked up at the clock before replying. "I'd say a good hour." Daxter hopped off of Jak's shoulder and onto their bed before he crawled over to the nearest pillow and lied down. "Well, I'm taking a nap."

Jak folded his arms over his chest, and then smiled at the ottsel. "Just be sure to wake up when I tell you to." Daxter waved his paw lazily at Jak before nuzzling his head against the pillow. Jak shook his head, and then left the bedroom only to meet Ark, who was leaning against the wall outside the room. The blonde looked his brother up and down before frowning and walking away. Ark quickly pushed himself off the wall as he followed Jak.

"Look, Mar, I'm sorry for not tellin' you sooner," Ark said as he tried to keep up with Jak. The blonde stopped, then turned around before glaring up at his brother (Jak's so short it's cute XD).

"Just so you know I'm tired of every part of my life being a secret. Right about now, I'm sick of surprises!" Jak yelled before continuing on his way down the hall. Ark rubbed his neck, and then quickly followed after his brother.

"Look, you weren't supposed to know about me, anyway!" Jak halted in his steps once again, then turned to Ark. He glared at him suspiciously. "And why not? Hell, I didn't even know Damas was my father until he died." Ark rubbed the back of his head and looked down for a moment before he lifted his head and smiled at Jak, throwing his arm around his shoulders.

"Like a good big brother, I'mma treat you to a drink or two at the Bloody Hook, all righ'?" the older sibling suggested, giving his brother a light shake. Jak shoved Ark's arm off of him. "I don't drink."

"C'mon, Mar, I promise I won't get ya drunk—I know ya gotta race!" Jak sighed and shrugged. "Fine, whatever." Ark grinned and gave the blonde a hard slap on the back. "That's the way to do it!" The two then headed for the Bloody Hook.

Jak tapped his fingers against the beer mug as he stared down at the frothy drink. Ark chugged down his beer, and then watched Jak for a bit before laughing lightly. "I'm guessin' you ain't drinkin' that?" The blonde shrugged, and then pushed the mug over to his brother. Ark shrugged as well before taking the beer and drinking it. Once it was gone, he took out a cigar and lit it.

"So, tell me what you wanna know," Ark said before taking a smoke. Jak stared down at his hands as he tapped his thumbs against the bar counter.

"Anything. Especially why I wasn't supposed to know about you." Ark held the cigar between his fingers as he scratched the side of his head. Jak then looked up at the man: there was no lie—Ark was truly his brother. They both shared the same facial features and even the same build. The only difference was that Ark was taller and his eyes were a soft shade of blue-purple like Damas's were. Jak guessed that he inherited his blonde hair and blue eyes from his mother. Ark tapped his cigar against the table, and then put it in his mouth, biting down on it.

"Well, Mar—" Jak shook his head.

"Just call me Jak. You might round up some unwanted attention," the blonde said before lifting his hand to get the attention of the barmaid. "A soda." The maid nodded before Jak turned to his brother. "Continue."

"All righ'… I was disowned by Dad," Ark began before turning around to the bar counter. He removed the cigar from his mouth as streams of smoke escaped from either sides of his mouth. Jak thanked the maid for his drink, and then frowned at Ark. "Why would father disown you?" Ark laughed softly, and then looked up at his brother.

"He had every righ' to, I'll say that much," the older sibling said before sighing. "I betrayed 'im. Veger was apart of the Council even when Dad was in-charge of Haven City. So…" Ark signaled for another beer as he took another smoke and exhaled. "Using his great persuasive skills, ol' Veger managed to talk me into turnin' on Dad by basically killin' him so I could have the throne. Heh, that Veger…" Ark narrowed his eyes, and then slammed his fist on the table. "That two-timing S.O.B. goddamn turned on me! He tol' Dad about the whole conspiracy, while in the process subtractin' himself from the equation. Dad really didn't wanna exile me…" When the beer mug was placed in front of him, Ark grabbed onto it and rubbed his fingertips roughly against the glass. "But that damn Veger got the Council to do some crap that if Dad didn't consent, he'd be removed. With that pressure, I was forced into exile. With me gone, you were the new heir."

"So you were the original heir…" Jak said as he stared at his brother. Ark nodded slowly, and then drank the beer before shoving the glass aside. "Yeah. I ain't even allowed to set foot in Haven—most people'll probably remember me an' I'll be damned if I walk aroun' bein' remembered for things I did when I was only a kid." Angrily, Ark put the cigar back in his mouth and sat there for a while, inhaling the toxins before exhaling the smoke out of his nose. He then removed cigar and exhaled. "Anyway, I was stuck in the desert where I managed to join up with the Marauders. I stayed with them for a while until I got double-crossed by their leader for refusing to attack Spargus when Dad founded it. So once again, I became a lone wanderer until I met up with a bunch of guys who worked for Krew in the desert. Sig found me an' took my sorry ass to Ol' Yakky an' I been workin' for 'im ever since." Jak tapped his fingers against his mug as he stared down into his reflection.

"And I thought I had it bad." Ark laughed, and then patted Jak on the back before grabbing his shoulder and shaking it. "Bro, you always had it bad." Jak looked up, slightly annoyed, and then looked over at Ark. "And you know this how…?" Ark smirked as he then rubbed his chin and chuckled. "I still got sources in Haven. Jinx is one of 'em. We were good friends when I was a kid." The older brother stood up and got one last smoke from his cigar, before squishing the butt into an ash tray.

"Dark Eco Injections, banished from the city, your lil' girlfriend ran away an' Samos hates ya," Ark said before leaning in and whispering, "Ya killed Ol' Yakky… Just how do you plan on explainin' that one to Raynnie?" Jak shook his head and sighed.

"Hell if I know."

"Well, besta luck to ya," Ark said as he patted his brother on the back. Jak rolled his eyes, and then looked down at his drink.

"Yeah, because luck is such a good source of help, especially in my life." As he said this, the rest of the team entered the Bloody Hook before taking seats around the room. Daxter hopped up onto Jak's shoulder, and then smiled as he ruffled his best friend's head.

"Did Jakky have a good time bonding with his older brother?" the ottsel asked. Jak rolled his eyes, and then poked Daxter's side.

"I'm nineteen, not twelve, Dax. It's not like he's my new hero or something," Jak replied as he looked over at Ark, who was scratching the back of his head. The younger brother smiled at his sibling, causing Ark to grin before the television flipped on and everyone looked up at it. G.T. Blitz and Pecker were on screen.

"Once again, we bring you all the racing action as close as it gets!" G.T. said with his usual enthusiasm and over-cheesy grin. Pecker nodded, and then brought his feathered fingers together.

"Yes, indeedy. The winner here will move one step close to qualifying for the big championship race." G.T. chuckled at this, and then edged towards Pecker as he said, "But that step could be right off a cliff. UR-86 has never lost in this event before and the crowd is screaming for another mechanical mashing here today." The camera then cut to UR-86, which was merely standing there making its usual robotic motions.

"Look at '86's confidence, his poise, his game face is just rock solid!" the commissioner said. When the camera switched back to Pecker and G.T., the monkaw merely rolled his eyes before bluntly stating, "Yeah, well he's a robot. What do you expect?" Daxter drew his attention from the television, and then flopped onto the table.

"We're dead," the ottsel said as he lowered his head. Jak crackled his knuckles, and then proceeded with cracking his neck as Sig began talking.

"Watch yourself out there, Jak. He can really light up a track, both with his speed and his weapons." Jak rolled his shoulders back, and then smirked as he looked up at the television. "Let's melt this sucker." Sig grinned, and then patted Jak on the back.

"That's what I'm talking 'bout, cherry!" Daxter sighed, then jumped onto Jak's shoulder as Jak got off the bar stool. Ashelin, Torn, Rayn, and Sig left the Bloody Hook, leaving only the two heroes and Ark. Ark stood up, and then patted his brother's shoulder before grinning.

"You better not be talkin' crap. I expect to see you alive after this race," Ark said. Jak rolled his eyes, and then smirked at his brother before punching him in the shoulder.

"Trust me, I've got this. Time to show these people what true racing is." Jak then left, causing Ark to smile as he ordered another beer.

"Raynnie's fine on her own…" he said as he received the beer. He then chugged it down before slamming the mug onto the counter. "Good stuff! That Jak, hell, there's no lie—he's from the Mar Family."

After the final race of the First Grand Prix, Jak passed with flying colors, beating UR-86. As he entered the Bloody Hook, he received a view glares from those who had lost the bet and those who worked for Mizo. Jak took a seat at the bar as Ashelin and Torn and Daxter and Sig followed behind. Torn grabbed Jak's shoulder, then grinned at him. "Good job. Now just don't screw up with the next three big races." Jak smirked.

"You can count on that." Ark and Rayn were already sitting at the bar when Rayn stood up and approached Jak while smiling.

"Simply marvelous racing! You truly have a talent for this, I must say," she said, causing Ark to roll his eyes. He turned on his bar stool, and then leaned back against the counter. "Oh c'mon, it's in his genes. Hell, I'm ready to race!" Rayn released an exasperated sigh before going over to Ark and taking a seat next to him.

"You're not racing until I say you can. I still don't feel very safe with all this tension building between our team and that Mizo fellow's…" she said as she placed her hands in her lap. Ark smirked and lifted an arm to wrap around her shoulder but only received a death glare in return. Sig folded his arms over his chest, and then looked up as the television screen switched on. G.T. seemed a bit annoyed when the camera started rolling but he quickly covered it up with his usual large grin.

"That was a big win for the newcomer, my fine feathered friend," he said before chuckling and saying lowly, "We're gonna have to pay some attention to this boy." Pecker nodded, and then waved his hand, causing the camera to shift more in his direction.

"I've done some digging, G baby, and I've uncovered more information about the rumors of that big underworld bet—someone is manipulating the sport!" the monkaw said. The camera then switched to G.T., whose temper was slowly rising despite his "happy" appearance.

"You know… Ha ha ha…" That's when G.T. exploded. "I've been covering this sport for decades. Do you honestly think you can come onto my (BEEP)'n show and make me look like a (BEEP) fool! Well, (BEEP) you!" Pecker stared in awe at G.T. Blitz's barrage of anger before the monkaw flew off as G.T. leaned in to grab him. Missing, G.T. yelled, "(BEEEEEEP)!" before the technical difficulties screen switched on. Everyone stared at the television, stunned, until Daxter cleared his throat.

"Well, uh…" the ottsel began. Jak nodded slowly as he pulled his eyes away from the screen. "Yeah…" Sig shook his head, and then walked over to Jak.

"I almost forgot to tell ya, rookie," the man began, causing Jak to turn around. Sig folded his arms over his chest. "Seem told me she had a mechanic on the way here. The person's supposed to arrive here some time tomorrow." Jak's eyes widened and he smiled broadly.

"Do you know who it is?" he asked naively until he quickly cleared his throat, trying to put the bad ass persona back on. "I mean… Did Seem say anything about knowing this person? Male? Female?" Sig shook his head and shrugged.

"Seem told me it was a male, a little bit older than you. Actually, I know the guy—he's like a brother to me." Jak nodded, and then turned around before drumming his fingers on the counter.

"Yeah… well, that's… That's nice. It's good that we can finally have a mechanic," Jak said before forcing a smile. "That'll lessen the work around here so we can focus more on racing. Anyway, uh…" Jak glanced up at the clock before standing up. "I'm gonna go. See you guys in the morning." Daxter jumped onto Jak's shoulder as the blonde left. Rayn covered her mouth with her fingertips.

"I wonder what's bothering him all of a sudden…" she whispered to Ark. Ark did not say anything and merely nodded. Ashelin could only sigh.

"Well, so much for finding Keira," she said as she shook her head. Torn looked in Jak's direction. "Nothing's ever easy for that guy."

**BD: And there you have it. I think I'm losing my drive. ; I'm thinking about abandoning the script in a bit and juts skipping to the end… Who knows? Anyway, I don't think this was my greatest chapter and I fear I'm going down hill from here…**

**Anyway, I hope you enjoyed. Reviews greatly appreciated… I'm so hungry… And trust me, I have waaay too much free time. Laughs sheepishly.**


	11. Chapter 10

**BD: You miss me? 3 The Boss strikes back with a new chapter and I hope you'll enjoy it! And trust me… you will DEFINITELY enjoy this chapter. Cackles.**

**Disclaimer: …Check chapter nine. D:**

Chapter Ten

Sitting up in bed, Jak yawned and ran a hand over his hair before looking around groggily. He grabbed the remote on the nightstand, and then flipped on the big screen television in the room before flopping over as he looked up at the screen sleepily. When the television came on, there were two naked elf women on top of each other and making out, this causing Jak to glare in Daxter's direction. The blonde huffed, and then flipped to the Combat Racing Channel. A commercial about Flut-Flut and Yakow meat went off when the G.T. Blitz show came back on.

"Welcome back to the show!" the large-mouthed man greeted. He then templed his fingers. "Today we have a special event where the racing rules have been changed to provide new challenges and new thrills." G.T. turned to his left as the camera pulled away to reveal Pecker perched on the balcony they were being filmed on. G.T. grinned at the monkaw. "How do you see Jak and his band of misfit racers shaping up?"

"Well, G.," Pecker began, "I've seen Jak get out of some pretty tight scrapes." The commissioner chuckled, and then placed a hand on his hip as he leaned towards Pecker.

"Come on… do you really think Jak's got a chance?" He looked at the camera. "He'll soon be going up against the top pros… nasty competition." G.T. then turned to Pecker before saying, "But, I'll give you the final word."

"Well G.T.—"

"Oops, sorry, that was more than one word," G.T. interrupted with a light chuckle. He then stepped in front of Pecker, blocking most of the monkaw from the camera's view. "In my experienced opinion, as the competition gets tougher… I think Jak's gonna fold."

Jak grunted and sat up. "Fold my ass." He then flopped back onto the bed. He still was not fully awake.

"That's studio debating 101, baby—oh yeah!" G.T. then said as he stepped out of Pecker's way and pointed at him. He laughed before saying, "You just got schooled." The monkaw stared at the commissioner in shock before narrowing his eyes and gritting his teeth. Pecker then inhaled before templing his fingers.

"Bids do not school, they flock," he said calmly. He then glared at G.T. and stuck up his middle finger, which was immediately blurred out. "So flock off!" The commissioner's eyes widened before he quickly looked to the camera, signaling for them to stop rolling. The show cut off before Jak turned off the television. The blonde sat up, then stretched his arms over his head and yawned. He then looked at the clock.

"This cup, the races are starting at 10… I got a good two hours," he muttered to himself before climbing out of bed. He then leaned over Daxter and poked the ottsel's side. "Hey Dax, you coming with me?" The ottsel grumbled and batted Jak's finger away before curling into a tighter ball. Jak placed a hand on his hip and waited for a reply. After a couple seconds, the ottsel mumbled, "Coming where…? I don't feel like racing…" Jak rolled his eyes.

"We don't race for another two hours. And I was going to head to the garage to meet this mechanic," Jak said. Daxter snorted, and then grumbled, "Like I really wanna meet some Spargus guy… You go ahead." Jak shook his head, and then put on his slippers before leaving the bedroom for the garage.

When the elevator doors opened, Jak slowly walked out only to hear a series of mechanical noises. The sounds stopped when he entered the garage and he frowned, only seeing his new vehicle for the current cup's class but not seeing a living being anywhere. He slowly circled the vehicle and he rubbed his goatee—the car must have come in early that morning but it appeared that it had already been upgraded. Jak lifted the hood and observed the interior of the car until he heard what sounded like a can fall, causing him to jump and release the hood. The hood hit him on the head and Jak grabbed his head as the hood fell back down. He heard an annoyed snort.

"Geez, after I take the effort in upgrading your vehicle, you don't even treat it decently. That makes me feel really appreciated," the person called out from where the paint was located. Jak groaned and rubbed his head.

"Well sorry for making a mistake," he replied sharply before looking at his palm to make sure he was not bleeding.

"I hate cocky, disrespectful bastards," the person said. Jak narrowed his eyes as he heard the person's footsteps before the paint room doorknob turned. When the door opened, Jak tilted his head aside in confusion before he squinted his eyes—it was a woman! She was wearing a long mahogany skirt that had splits riding up to her mid thighs and a white spaghetti strap top. She was wearing boots and gauntlets made of Metal Head ivory and around her neck she had on goggles. She was wearing a knapsack similar to the one Jak traditionally wore while she also had on suspenders that were made of Metal Head ivory; from the belt of her suspenders hung many tools and a few small daggers and bullets. She was wearing a helmet that was worn during mechanical work while on her ears were slabs of metal. Jak arched an eyebrow.

"Uh…are you the…guy Seem sent?" he asked. Great, a gender-confused man. How unattractive. The woman placed her hands on her hips.

"You're not very bright," she said before removing her mask. When she did, her long blue-green hair fell down to her mid-back and Jak was taken aback. He stared at her for a while before she threw her helmet at him. Jak caught it just as she picked up her paint sprayer and a can of paint before pushing pass him. He stumbled back and simply stared at her as she kneeled down and began filling the sprayer with paint. She stopped, and then glared at him. "In case you didn't know, I don't like it when people stare at me so cut it out." She then pulled on her goggles before spraying forest green paint onto the vehicle. Jak moved his lips but the words would not come out until he hit his forehead with the helmet before finally saying,

"Keira!" The woman stopped spraying the paint, and then released an exasperated sigh before pulling off her goggles and looking up at him. "What?" Jak placed the helmet down, and then slowly made his way over to her.

"I… I can't believe it—you're here!" he said. Keira stared at him for a while, and then pulled her goggles on before continuing to paint. "Well, if that wasn't obvious. Now that you've come to this conclusion, why don't you go away?" Jak grew angry, but his anger soon faded away—she had every right to treat him this way. The blonde rubbed his neck as he looked down for a while.

"Well… I just thought…" he said lowly as he searched in his mind for the right words. Jak then sighed as he watched Keira paint. "I thought I'd never find you again…" Keira grunted, and then stood up before placing her hand on her hip and taking her goggles off again. Jak was startled by the amount of rage gleaming in her eyes.

"Let me tell you something, Jak," she began before approaching him. Jak slowly backed away as she drew closer. "It should never have mattered whether you ever found me again. You know why? Because you never made an effort in the first place!" When Jak was backed against a wall, Keira's eyes darkened as she jabbed him in the chest with her index finger. "I'm fed up with waiting! Actually, I'm fed up with **_you_**!" Jak winced at this, and then lowered his head as he looked away from her.

"Keira… I…" Keira grunted, and then turned away from him before going back over to his car. She then returned to painting.

"Just don't say anything, Jak," she spat. "Don't bother associating yourself with me—I'm a mechanic for this team. It's all strictly business." Jak nodded slowly, and then walked to the elevator. He then paused and stood there for a while. Taking a deep breath, he then exhaled before looking over at the angry female.

"If it means anything," he began as nervousness crept onto him. He quickly pushed it back. "If it means anything, that kiss… it meant nothing to me, Keira. You…I…" Keira stopped painting, and then turned to look at him. Jak glanced her before looking down at his feet as he rubbed his sweaty palms against his pajama pants. "You… you mean a lot to me. Even if that means nothing to you, it's the truth." He then left and boarded the elevator. Once he was gone, Keira returned to painting as a sly grin sneaked onto her face.

**BD: Raaaah haaa! And there you have it—Keira has returned. :D I know I'm not making it easy. X3 And hey, it felt kinda good breaking away from the script-kinda-ish!**


	12. Lmao, another Author's Note XD

Bajillionth Author's Note!!!

All right, to all my fans out there, I am so, so, sooo SORRY for the wait! I finished a novel last month because of the whole NaNoWriMo hype and then I thought, "Hey! Why don't I finish my awesomely awesome Jak X fic?!" Thus, over the course of 30 days, I am going to work my most diligent hardest to get this fanfic finished! My aim is 70,000 words, I guess including what I already have from my previous chapters, otherwise I'll have to change my word count…

Anyway, sit back and relax people because the Muse has spoken! I'll post everything that I have finished at the end of each week, so I'm looking forward to your support. No lies or broken promises here!

Sincerely with love,

Boss Dumpling! 3


	13. Chapter 11

**BD: And what's this? After many a months, I've returned! Sorry for the wait and all—school and plenty of things to distract me! Well, it's all over and I'm ready to keep this thing rollin'. The Muse is ready to wham, bam, supah slam!**

**Oh yeah…Sorry if this chapter sucks. It's been a while…Need to get back into character.**

**Disclaimer: ND owns this joint! Everything except for Ark. Woochachaaa!**

Chapter Eleven—Ho-ah!

"Hey, buddy, what's up with you?" Daxter asked as he leaned over Jak's head and frowned. It had been some time since they had passed the finish line, but Jak hadn't budged from his seat in the race car. The blonde released a soft sigh and shook his head slowly before climbing out of the vehicle.

"It's nothing, Dax." Just as he began walking towards the path that led away from the track, Ark came up behind Jak before smacking his palm against his younger brother's back. The blonde jerked forward and Daxter fell from his head, the both of them glaring at the larger elf. Ark laughed and patted his brother on the back.

"What's wrong wit' you guys?" he asked. The ottsel rolled his eyes and hopped onto Jak's shoulder as the two siblings began walking. Jak only shook his head and Ark rolled his eyes. "Geez… Yer no fun to talk to." Silence fell between them until a thought came to Ark. "You guys see that mechanic? Wooo…" He whistled. "She's a hottie!"

"_Really_?" Daxter asked as he smiled broadly, his ears perking up. Jak furrowed his eyebrows and looked at the ottsel. "Tess." Daxter squinted at him, then laughed sheepishly as his ears fell back against his skull. Meekly, the ottsel dropped his head and poked his index claws together. "Eh heh heh… Can't forget about Tessy-Pooh!" Jak rolled his eyes, then looked at his brother.

"She's…the girl I was talking about," he murmured. Daxter arched an eyebrow and got ready to make a remark until his eyes widened as the thought clicked in his head. Clinging to Jak's shoulder, the ottsel lurched his body forward and stared at his best friend in disbelief. "I-it's Keira?!"

"Yeah it's me," the mechanic said as she walked out with some technicians behind her. She nodded towards Jak's race car. "That's it." The technicians nodded, then jogged over to the vehicle before wheeling it to the garage. Placing her hands on her hips, Keira turned to look in Jak's direction, causing the blonde to quickly drop his head. Ark scratched his head at this, then shrugged before smiling and walking towards Keira with his hand extended.

"Hey there, cutie! The name's Ark," he greeted. The aquamarine-haired woman looked at his hand and sneered. She then glared at the tall elf. "My name is Keira, not 'cutie.' You work for the slime ball's family." Ark's eye twitched at this, but he kept the smile on his face as he kept his hand extended. His temper was staring to rise.

"Uh…Yeah, I work for Yakky's family. I'm Raynnie's bodyguard." He then looked over at Jak, who still had his head lowered. Ark was slightly annoyed by this and he quickly elbowed his sibling. The blonde glared at this brother, who returned the favor. "Ain't ya gonna introduce me to ya friend here?" Jak blinked, then nodded slightly before glancing at Keira before quickly dropping his head again.

"Uh…Keira, this is my… My older brother," he told her. She folded her arms over her chest and shifted her weight before tucking a finger under her lip. She grinned. "Ah… No wonder you both worked for that fat ass. Seems to run in your blood to be desperate for work." Jak jerked his head up, surprised at Keira's soft profanity and how snappy she was. Daxter leaned towards Jak and whispered, "You think it's that time of the month? Sheesh…" At this point, Ark's extended hand had turned into a fist, but Jak pushed his brother's hand down and shook his head. The blonde sighed before looking up at the woman.

"Keira…please don't take your anger out on anyone other than me," he said lowly. She narrowed her eyes and leaned towards Jak. "Tell me exactly who you are to be making demands." Jak inhaled deeply, then exhaled his rising anger as he fought to keep his voice at a level, calm tone.

"It's not a demand… It's a simple request." Keira rolled her eyes, then pushed pass him. "Whatever." She then headed into the garage. Ark looked down at Jak before looking in Keira's direction as he whistled.

"Man…she's got some anger on 'er. I dunno what you can do 'bout that, bro," Ark said. Jak shrugged.

"For now…it can wait. Let's get moving." The older brother nodded and directed the best friends to where Rayn currently was.

Keira stopped half-way on her path to the garage and turned to watch as Jak, Daxter, and Ark walked away, though her focus was mainly on Jak. She narrowed her eyes as she clenched her fists tight at her sides before she turned around sharply and continued on her way to the garage.

"I don't know what even made me volunteer for this job," she grumbled as she picked up her mask and pulled it over her face before snatching up that flame throwing-thing (lmao…what is it called? XD) and flicking on the flame. She kneeled down and began welding the body frame of Jak's vehicle for the second set of racing. When she was looking over the vehicle he planned to drive today, she did not quite like the body style and this vehicle that she was working on now appeared to have some cracks and fractures in the body frame, plus it needed a new paint job.

"Just what the hell were they thinking when they shipped this piece of junk? It must be a second-hand vehicle." The blue-green haired woman continued with her welding. The sound of the fire melting the metal seemed to be minimal compared to the thoughts running through her head. Or rather, the single thought: why had she taken this job? She had made a new friend in Spargus; actually, he was the one who saved her during a bad encounter with Marauders. Keira sighed softly, reflecting on how weak she was a couple of months—she had gone into a slight depression after that bad experience. It did not pain her as much to think about it…

After she found out about Jak and Ashelin kissing and after she considered how much he had pretty much ignored her during that whole adventure, Keira just got fed up and left Haven City, not leaving a note or anything to signify her departure. From what she heard from Sig, everyone found out a week or so later because of the cameras installed on the city walls. Her eyebrows dropped as her face was pulled into a fierce frown. Would anybody have noticed without the cameras? Would anyone have cared? These were the questions that tormented her in her depression. But she allowed her intelligence and logic to come back to mind, for she remembered that she told everyone to leave her alone after the Kissing Incident—not only because she was hurt, but she had a lot of work to do when it came to getting the Stadium up and running again, plus she was commissioned for road work and design when Kras City signed for going global. The only person, or thing, she knew who could keep up with her working habits in Haven City was Vin. She would be home eventually to see how the roads came out. Was Haven City really home to her?

Her mind drifted away from such a thought and returned to her encounter with the Marauders. She had taken one of her prototype Zoomers for racing and had packed a Blaster gun, though she was not the least bit experienced with guns. Her green eyes wandered to her arms, which were a bit more muscular than they were before she ended up in Spargus City. Ah, if it weren't for those wonderful Marauders…

Keira flipped the flame off and flipped her mask up onto the top of her head so that she could lean in and observe the welding job. She nodded, acknowledging a job well done and stood up, moving to the other side of the frame as her boots clanked against the metal plated floor. She remembered when she could barely lift her legs when the guy who saved her, Kley, gave her the boots. He offered to find her some lighter ones, but she refused—even if her heart was broken and her world seemed to crash upon her, Keira still had some obstinance left in her. She got ready to kneel down again until she heard a pair of heavy feet entering the garage. The woman placed the torch down, then reached under her skirt for the dagger that was strapped to her upper thigh. She released her hold when she saw that it was Sig.

"I was surprised to hear you came, Keira. Didn't think you'd want to be around your boyfriend," the large, dark-skinned elf man said to her. The woman laughed and folded her arms as she began rocking back and forth on the heels of her boots.

"Yeah, I was surprised I decided to come." Sig walked over to her and looked over the body frame of the vehicle.

"I'm not a mechanic or anything, but this thing needs some work. The hell was the commission thinking when they sent this?" he asked. Keira shook her head and stood beside the Spargus King as she replied, "Hell if I know. Maybe that wanted to see a miracle."

A large grin stretched across Sig's broad face and he patted Keira's shoulder. No matter how strong she got, she would never be able to stop jittering like some sort of insect when he patted her shoulder. It was her luck that he was such a kind-hearted man.

"Well, you're our miracle when it comes to this kinda stuff! Glad you could make it," he told her. She looked up at him with an arched eyebrow. "What about Kley? You know he was supposed to come." Sig chuckled, then leaned in close to Keira before whispering, "We all know, even Kley, that _you're_ the best mechanic out here. The boy's got smarts, but you've got genius, and he greatly respects you for that." Keira rolled her eyes.

"What're you trying to do? Boost my self-esteem?" Sig laughed and gave her a slap on the back. It was not hard but that didn't stop her from stumbling forward some. Being around Sig was a work out in itself.

"Not at all! I'm just speaking the truth," he told her. "Anyway, it's almost time to race. Think you may be up to racing?" Keira gave an amused chuckle, then shook her head.

"I'd love to, but I have to take care of some things. I'm getting paid for this job, you know?" she replied, receiving a nod from Sig. He then placed his large hand on her shoulder and said to her, "You're putting your trust in Jak, aren't you?" Keira's eyes quickly darted to look up at Sig's and they stared at one another for some time before she simply dropped her attention to the floor.

"It… It has nothing to do with him. He hurt me, Sig. If anything, I'm not here for him, I'm here for—"

"Don't lie to yourself, and don't lie to me. I know you love him, kiddo," Sig told her softly before he laughed quietly and ruffled her hair a bit. "I'm afraid that Spargus has made your heart too hard. But again, it's good that you wait for him to make a move. I know you're tired of waiting, but you're a new being—a woman for that matter!" He grinned and said to her, "Use that to your advantage."

Sig then left the garage and Keira simply stood there, staring into the exit where he had departed. She then shook her head and pushed her mask back on as she began working again. The woman could only pray to the Precursors that Jak made it through this race… she wasn't done unleashing her fury on him. She would break him. She already was doing it.

**BD: All right, non-script chapter right here to make up for the "Keira wants to Race" scene. I'm doing this National Novel Writing Month-like thing and my goal is to get to 70,000 words by January 29, and I'm up to about 23,000. I plan to finish this story! A chapter a day? XD How 'bout it! **

**I'm still trying to get into the Jakness and I'm still trying to adapt to my new Keira. I'm sorry if things start getting funky. But anyway, reviews are adored and I hope you enjoyed this chapter! I'll be starting chapter one tomorrow.**

Word Count: 2010


	14. Chapter Special

**BD: Hey one and hey all! Haven't made a chapter update in a while, but in a sense this is unfortunate, but I feel like making a song-fic-ish thing… Just because this song is really hitting my heart and the muse is now at work and awakened once more. Hmm… And I just got an idea on what I wanna do… But yeah, this is NOT a part of the story. This is just a little special that my muse has urged on. Please enjoy.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own the characters of Naughty Dog, nor do I have any claims to the words of John Legend.**

Chapter Special: We're Just Ordinary People

"I can't believe him," Keira grumbled as she stormed through the Krew family mansion. "Really! As usual, he blows me off!" Clenching her fists tightly, the young woman scoffed at how Jak barely gave her a glance when she decided to finally pay a visit to one of his races. She even spoke and he avoided her! She came to a halt in the hallway and out of pure irritation; she slammed her fist into the wall, causing one of the large family portraits to slump to its side.

"Puh… This slime ball of a family has enough money to fix whatever the hell they please," she muttered under her breath, glancing at the crack she had made into the wall. Still enraged, Keira continued down the hall. She was going to go to Jak's room and finally force _something_ out of him! They never kissed—hell, he ended up kissing Ashelin instead. Not only that, but he never told her he loved her or even made mention of liking her in all the years that she had known him. The old Keira was so naïve and passive… The new Keira would not put up with the crap any longer. She then began to ascend the stairs to where the bed-quarters were located, but soon her hurried, stormy pace slowed as she heard the sound of a piano. Somehow, her anger seemed to slowly pass as a voice followed.

"_Girl, I'm in love with you… This ain't the honeymoon… Past the infatuation phase_," the person sang. Keira squinted as she looked up the large flight of stairs. The voice was soft, gentle, mellow, and almost to the point of wooing. But more than anything, it was the voice that belonged to a man. Keira stopped in her trek and frowned as she rubbed her chin.

"Hmm… must be a family crony…" she said to herself before continuing up the stairs. The music was emitting from a floor above the bed-quarters floor and due to how faint it was, Keira could estimate that the piano was located outside on a balcony. With a brief shrug, Keira disregarded her idea about confronting Jak.

"I'll forget about him… He's not worth it anymore," she muttered as she clenched the railing tightly. "If Jak doesn't want me, then fine, I'll just find someone else!"

"_Right in the thick of love…At times we get sick of love… It seems like we argue everyday_," the unknown singer from above vocalized. The melody of his voice and the words seemed to now be seeping into the crevices of Keira's worn and torn heart as she released a soft sigh. "And I wouldn't mind being with a man who can sing…" She decided to slow the pace of her steps so that she could listen to the man sing. She would be even more impressed if he was both singing and playing the piano.

"_I know I misbehaved, and you made your mistakes, and we both still got room left to grow,_" he proceeded. As Keira drew nearer, the intensity of emotion swelled in her heart as she heard the emotion in the man's voice. "_And though love sometimes hurts, I still put you first, and we'll make this thing work…_" The woman suddenly stopped and clenched her heart. That sounded like the situation she was in. _No, no Keira… _she told herself while shaking her head, _We're not going back to Jak…_ Ignoring the cries of the love that lied in her heart, Keira proceeded up the stairs.

"_But I think we should take it slow_," he sang, his voice growing louder as she drew closer, "_We're just ordinary people, we don't know which way to go 'cause we're ordinary people… Maybe we should take it slow…"_ Keira had finally made it onto the floor and before her was a dark room that led out to the moonlit balcony. All she could see was the silhouette of the singer but now she was too mesmerized to leave—she continued forward. _He must be my destiny…_

"_Take it slow, oh ooh ooooh… This time we'll take it slow… Take it slow, oh ooh ooooh… This time we'll take it slow." _When Keira was standing in the middle of the room, the man suddenly looked up and missed a key on the piano. He quickly pulled his hands away from the keys and pulled the cover on them before standing up.

"Wait! Wait!" Keira protested as she suddenly ran towards him. The man shook his head frantically and tried to back away but he was soon trapped against the railing of the balcony. He quickly dropped his head as Keira stepped onto the balcony.

"Hey…" she said to him as she inched closer. "I was really liking that song…" Keira smiled and placed her hand on the broad muscular shoulder of the man, causing him to lift his head and smile weakly.

"It…it was nothing," he replied, causing Keira to gasp and step away from him as she covered her mouth. Her eyes widened with disbelief as she stared at the man.

"Th-that…that was you, Jak!"

* * *

"_This ain't a movie no, no fairy tale conclusion, ya'll… It gets more confusing everyday_." Rayne's laugh faded as she took her attention away from the conversation she was having at hand. She was seated on a balcony at one of the ritziest, most expensive pubs in Kras City. She could hear a deep, yet melodic voice resounding from the ballroom that was located on the lower levels of the pub. She frowned as she looked over the balcony. _Who in the world could that be?_

"Is everything all right, Miss Rayne?" one of the guests she was conversing with asked. Rayne blinked, and then laughed softly before nodding. "Yes, everything is all right… Just excuse me for a bit." The guest nodded and when he did, she placed the champagne glass in his hand before heading down to the ballroom.

It was not that she had a problem with the voice or the singing, for that matter. Behind her false, soft exterior and underneath her strict, dutiful, power-hungry core, the words had crept into her and made her feel… safe, loved. It was the same love and security she had felt when she was Daddy's little girl, the same feelings she felt when she first met Ark. What kind of man would have such a gift as to play music and sing melodies that could even melt Rayne from deep within? She had to find out.

"_Ooooh… Sometimes it's heaven-sent… Then we head back to hell again… We kiss, and then we make up on the way,_" the man sang. Rayne's pace slowed down against her will: she wanted to get to the ballroom quickly to discover who the singer was, but the tune, his voice; it was all dragging down her steps. _"I hang up, you call, we rise and we fall, and we feel like just walking away…But as our love advances, we take second chances… Though it's not a fantasy, I still want you to stay…_"

"What a sensational voice he has…" Rayne said to herself as she finally reached the ballroom floor. The room was dimly lighted as she slowly crept in, seeing the large build of the man's body, but she was unable to see his face.

"_We're just ordinary people… We don't know which way to go… 'Cause we're just ordinary people… Maybe we should take it slow…_" As he sang, Rayne's eyes widened as she recognized the face of the giver of melodic tunes: it was Ark. Even as she stood by him dumbfounded, Ark merely looked up from the piano and smiled as he continued singing.

"_Take it slow…oh ooh ooooh… This time we'll take it slow… Take it slow… oh ooh ooooh… This time we'll take it slow…_" Ark nodded for Rayne to come closer and, being in her pre-mesmerized state, Rayne drew closer to him.

* * *

Jak laughed nervously as he rubbed his neck. "Yeah…um… it was me…" Keira shook her head as she paled, becoming overwhelmed with guilt at the very thought of going to another man. She quickly tried to brush it off. 

"I didn't know you could play the piano… Let alone _sing_, for that matter!" she exclaimed. She forced a laugh as the guilt began to consume her. Had the Wastelands ruined her heart and turned her into a shallow being? How could she think of abandoning her love for Jak?

"Well, I… It's just something I prefer to do on my own time…" he said meekly as he pushed himself away from the piano. "I don't think I'm all that good…" Keira pouted. Could Jak, the egotistical superhero, actually doubt himself? Her girlish, Sandover nature took over and the woman smiled something that caught Jak by surprise. Dark makers might start falling from the sky at any minute…

"Jak, you're awesome! You just seem to be good at anything you do!" she urged on as her smile broadened. Jak laughed weakly, and then smiled sadly as he dropped his eyes.

"Yeah… Other than…" he began before trailing off. He summed up his courage before saying, "Other than showing you that I love you…" The all the blood in Keira's body seemed to rush to her face as she stared at him in disbelief. Jak did not say he loved her. Nope, he did not. Those three words could not have escaped his mouth. Keira could keep telling herself that but the truth had come to pass and she had almost grown teary-eyed.

"Jak…" she choked out as she clenched her chest. She quickly closed the distance between them and buried her head into his chest. Jak was momentarily startled but he soon regained himself as he wrapped his arms around her and rested his chin on Keira's head.

"I'm… I'm sorry it took so long… I do love you, Keira," he murmured. Keira lifted her head to look at Jak as she placed her hand on his cheek.

"Then play for me…please?" she asked quietly. Jak smiled at her, a true genuine smile that she had not seen since Sandover, before guiding her over to the piano. Once they were both seated and Keira was comfortable between Jak's arms, he proceeded to play the song from before, though singing in a more quiet voice.

"_Take it slow… Maybe we'll live and learn, maybe we'll crash and burn, maybe you'll stay, maybe you'll leave, maybe you'll return,_" he cooed as he rested his head against Keira's, "_Maybe you'll never find, maybe we won't survive… But maybe we'll grow…"_ When Keira tilted her head up to look at him, Jak rested his forehead against hers as his voice quieted down to almost a whisper.

"_We never know, baby, you and I…"_

_

* * *

_

"_We're just ordinary people… We don't know which way to go…Heeey… 'Cause we're ordinary people… Maybe we should take it slow…Heeey,_" Ark sang as Rayne sat down next to him on the piano stool. She wrapped her arms around his waist and rested her head against his shoulder as she closed her eyes. His singing came to an end when Rayne raised her voice to vocalize.

"_We're just ordinary people… We don't know which way to go… 'Cause we're ordinary people… Maybe we should take it slow…_" she sang lowly as she nuzzled his shoulder. Ark pulled his hands away from the piano, then lifted Rayne's chin before kissing her. When he pulled away from her, he grinned.

"You can slap me for that later…"

* * *

"_Take it slow… oh ooh ooooh…This time we'll take it slow… Take it slow… oh ooh ooooh… This time we'll take it slow…_" Keira sang between sobs. Jak completed the song on piano before wrapping his arms tightly around Keira and hugging her. The woman closed her eyes and leaned towards Jak; he leaned in, took a chance, and kissed Keira. The two sat that way for a while until Keira finally pulled away and smiled at Jak. 

"That's all I ever wanted…" The blonde blinked, and then frowned a bit before resting his head on top of hers. "All you wanted was a kiss?" Keira gave Jak a punch to the stomach, causing her to laugh softly when he grunted.

"No… All I wanted was for you to return my love…"

* * *

Rayne slapped Ark, and then folded her arms over her chest. "Really! I've been trying to figure out who was playing the piano around the house over the past couple of months! What do you have against being direct and immediate with me, Ark?"

* * *

It was at this point that both brothers smiled sheepishly and rubbed the backs of their necks before replying, "I just wanted to take it slow." 

**BD: Yes… Out of the blue, but it makes me happy. D: The muse attacked so there! Hope you enjoyed… I promise the end will be much loving. XP I shall try to continue with the story tomorrow. :D Wish me luck and thanks for your support—Reviews are greatly loved!**


	15. SURPRISE NOTE! I need forgivenness

Soooo… what's it been? A year since I last updated? No.. TWO YEARS?! Christ… THREE since I started?!?! /facepalm

Please forgive me! I've been in a rut (obviously), but I'm feeling it's about time I finish this fic. I have a looot of media in my backlog that needs to be completed and I feel like this is one of them. I decided to read the story today and even review the comments and I got an email saying someone subscribed! What's wrong with me?!

For the sake of all that's good in the world, I will have a chapter up by the end of next week!

**I PROMISE.**


	16. Chapter 12 It's finally here!

**BD: All right, so I'm a week over my deadline. God… I can be so full of shit sometimes. _; Anyway, this chapter may be a little short and not as great as before since it's been awhile since I've worked on the story or even touched a Jak game. Hopefully this will be that push that'll get me in the groove again! **

**Hope you enjoy!**

**Disclaimer: All characters and ideas of the Jak X series belong to Naughty Dog. Ark is my baby though. 3**

Chapter 12

Just as Keira had finished her repairs on the vehicles for the day, Jak, with Daxter on his shoulder, and Rayn entered the garage. The aquamarine haired woman pushed her mask up and narrowed her eyes at Krew's daughter, observing the short distance between her and Jak as they walked together. Gritting her teeth, Keira then walked over to the closet that held her supplies and pulled off her gloves and put those and the mask in. After closing the door, she was startled to see that Rayn was standing next to her.

"Hello, my name is Rayn. I heard we received a new mechanic from Spargus, but I hadn't had the chance to meet her," the dark-haired woman greeted with a smile. She held her hand out. "I'm Krew's daughter by the way." Keira's hand clenched into a tight fist before she simply smiled and grabbed Rayn's hand, shaking it.

"It's a pleasure," she said. "It seems like everyone has their connection to that… guy." Rayn lowered her eyes and nodded. Once they had released hands, she placed her hands on her lap.

"I know it is most unfortunate that my father lived the life that he did, but those who worked for him or continue to work for the family name have their reasons." She then looked up at Keira and smiled halfway. "Though father's heart was darker than others, that shouldn't be assumed of his workers." Keira grabbed onto the material of her skirt: hearing those words was something that her fellow mechanic in Spargus, Kley, had said to her. Her green eyes inevitably shifted from Rayn to Jak, who returned her stare momentarily before shifting his attention elsewhere. When their eyes met, she was reminded of that boy she knew from Sandover Village, the feeling suddenly enraging her.

"Well, I'm done in here. I'll see you guys later," Keira said before walking out of the garage. Daxter, who had been watching the silent interaction, rolled his eyes and smacked Jak over the head. "What the hell is wrong with you two? Every single adventure, you two are always acting weird!" The blonde rubbed his head and glared at his best friend, who simply hopped off of his shoulder. Jak shook his head before turning his attention to Rayn, who had begun walking over to him.

"You know, something about this whole set up doesn't seem right," he said just as she was about to say something—it was probably about to be about the Keira situation. He rested his arm on the platform near the monitor that displayed the vehicle layout. Rayn's expression changed to worry as she grasped her upper arm. Jak looked away from her momentarily as he continued to speak. "We're missing something important."

"But at least we're winning races," Rayn replied as she released her arm and held her hand out. "That's good!" Daxter, who had resigned himself to resting his head on a wrench soon jumped up at her words and frowned as he pointed at her. "Good?! Listen Rayn baby." He then proceeded to do body gestures with each word he said. "We've been chased, attacked, shot at, poisoned, and blown up! How could it get any worse?!"

Just as the ottsel clenched his fists at his sides and leaned towards the woman, a familiar voice greeted, "Hello ankle biters!" Daxter's blue eyes were diverted to see who the speaker was , causing him to look away with a scowl. "It's worse." When Jak and Rayn looked up, they were looking at the well-known face of Kleiver. The old balding blonde began walking over to them as he spoke.

"That show pony, Gee-Whizz Blitz, told me I could find ya here," he said, soon stopping once he reached the top of the first step down into the garage pit. He pointed at them. "Listen up, yabbers. You embarrassed me on the track before" (Jak and Daxter both grinned and bumped knuckles at this.) "But this time I aim to even the score."

Daxter held up his paws and grinned as he made arm gestures as he spoke, "Duuude, that was _so_ last adventure!" Holding the back of his right paw against his muzzle, he leaned towards the audience. "Available in stores now." Kleiver clenched his fists.

"I've been waiting a long time to teach you short poppies a lesson." With that said, the old racer turned and began walking out of the garage. "I'll see ya on the track, nippers." Once Kleiver had made his exit, Rayn looked over at Jak. "An old enemy of yours?" Daxter pursed his lips together and made a short, "Pffft" before waving his paw dismissively.

"He's just some old, smelly Spargus City racer. We've handled him plenty of times before, 'ey Jak?" The ottsel grinned as his friend, who smirked in return. "Of course." Jak looked at Krew's daughter and placed his hand on her shoulder. "He's nothing to worry about." Rayn smiled and nodded before the three exited the garage. It had been a long day that deserved a good night's rest. Well, at least until tomorrow's race.

**BD: Well, that wasn't so bad! Glad I finally womaned up and started it! I don't want this story to be too long so the chapters may start to extend a little longer if I decide to add about three scenes per chapter, not to mention the additional stuff I include. Ah well, it's doable! I have plenty of time to get up even more chapters, so I hope you enjoyed this one!**


	17. Chapter 13

**BD: I was planning to submit two chapters at the end of the week anyway, so this isn't too bad. Good thing I'm on summer break, huh? I've been missing Ark's pathetic hide to some degree and Keira needs to show her pretty face around. I wonder when she and Jak will make up… I figure it'll take her a long way to go.**

**Disclaimer: All these characters and settings belong to Naughty Dog. Ark is mine though. 3**

Chapter Thirteen

Jak groaned at the banging on his bedroom door. He pulled his pillow from under his head before curling into a ball and covering his ears with the fluffy object. Daxter grumbled and then got out of bed. "All right, all right! I'm coming!" Once the ottsel was near the door, it was kicked open by none other than Ark; the door swung back and slammed against the wall, unfortunately catching the poor orange furball in the process. The noise startled Jak, who immediately jumped up and transformed into his Dark self. Hissing, he turned around to see his older brother, who was frozen stiff with fright as he stared at his younger brother with wide eyes. Jak reverted back to normal and folded his arms before frowning at Ark.

"What have I told you about barging in here unannounced?" the blonde asked angrily. His eyes retained their empty blackness until he closed them, soon lifting his eyelids to reveal his blue eyes. Ark cleared his throat, trying his hardest to hide the fact that he was trembling.

"You ain't tell me nuthin' 'bout that, Mar," he said slowly. Even his words came out as shaky. Jak walked over to his brother and tilted his head upwards and poked him in the chest with his index finger. "Well now I'm telling you: don't." Ark smiled sheepishly and raised his hands in surrender. "All righ', all righ', I'm sorry!"

Jak rolled his eyes and then walked away from his brother, heading towards the closet. "You obviously want something. What is it?" Ark got ready to speak until the door was shoved away from the wall and Daxter came stumbling out from behind it. The ottsel glared up at the green-haired man before shaking his fist at him. "Why, I oughta…" The older brother rubbed his neck and smiled at the orange creature before returning his attention to his sibling. "I though' you might wanna catch breakfast, if that's awright. My treat!"

The blonde hero was flipping through his wardrobe as he listened to his brother, then paused. Staring down in thought for a moment, he looked at Daxter, who gave him the thumbs up, before looking at his brother. As tempting as it was to blow his own brother off, Jak knew that was no way to treat the only blood relative he had left, not to mention that he had to redeem his harsh nature in some way. His features softened at the thought of Keira and how he needed to clear the air with her. Just how was he going to do that… Keira had always seemed to be a loner, even back in Sandover. Maybe if he talked to Sig he would be able to—

"Hey Jak! Are we going or not?" Daxter called out, bringing the blonde back to the current situation. Ark arched an eyebrow as he looked down at the ottsel. "_We_?" Placing the backs of his paws against his small hips, Daxter scowled up at the older sibling. "You either treat me to breakfast or I sue you!" The ottsel huffed and then folded his arms. "Well, I'd sue you if we live long enough to even win this race." Ark snorted before returning his attention to Jak. "Well, Mar?"

Jak turned towards his wardrobe and waved Ark off. "Where are we meeting?"

"The bar, of course!" the green-haired man replied. Both Daxter and Jak cocked an eyebrow as they looked at him in disbelief and said in unison, "The bar?" Ark nodded with a huge grin on his face. "They got tha bes' pancakes I ever had! Tha Flutflut scrambled eggs are ta die for!" The younger brother simply shrugged. "Whatever, we'll see you there."

Ark slammed down the empty glass mug onto the counter and exhaled before patting his stomach. "Now tha's a good breakfast, 'ey Mar?" He slapped his brother on the back, causing Jak to slam his hands on the counter so that his face would not make friends with it. Daxter held up his finger while making a downward motion with his other hand. "Sshhhh!!! Didn't we say to call him Jak?"

"Oh yeah, sorry," Ark replied before covering his mouth. Just as the barmaid came and cleared their dishes off of the counter, Kleiver came into the bar and began walking over to them. Both Jak and Daxter sighed.

"You and the offside care for a little bush bash? Over the city and through the jungle, so to speak," the old elf suggested while sporting a confident, cocky smirk. Daxter quickly looked at Jak and shook his head, but the blonde had his attention focused on the Spargus racer. The barmaid had refilled Ark's glass with Yakow milk, so he only drank quietly as he watched the trio. Daxter placed his paw on his mug and leaned against it as he looked at Kleiver through lidded us, clearly disinterested in racing.

"Ya know… I was having a good day until you showed up," the ottsel said as Jak stood up from his seat on the bar stool. The shorter elf furrowed his eyebrows. "We're always up for a little action." Kleiver's expression became smugger.

"Good. A little warm up for the big event, eh?" As he and Jak leaned closer towards one another, Kleiver then shoved the smaller elf's chest with his large index finger. "Who knows, maybe we can run over a few greenies while we're at it." Jak tilted his head aside as he narrowed his eyes at him. "After you." The old elf's smirk turned into a grimace as he replied, "You'll always be after me." With that, he shoved Jak with his shoulder before heading out of the bar. Daxter hid behind his best friend, who watched the opposing racer intently.

"Who's paying you Kleiver? You don't do anything for free." Kleiver grimaced to himself, considering what the young elf said was true. However, he continued walking out without an additional word. Daxter hopped onto Jak's shoulder as he started to follow, but he was stopped when Ark grabbed his upper arm. Though the blonde had turned to look at his older brother, Ark continued to drink his milk until he was done, soon placing the empty glass on the counter. He stared into his younger brother's eyes.

"Ya shouldn't do this M-Jak. It ain't even part o' tha official competition," he warned. Jak remained quiet before replying, "That doesn't mean anything to me." He smirked. "This is for fun—there's nothing to worry about." The younger sibling jerked his arm out of his brother's hold before walking out of the bar towards the exit. Daxter considered Ark's words but then realized something else.

"Uh, Jak…"

"What, Dax?"

"What about…"

"Hey, there's nothing to worry about. I got this." Jak grinned and lifted his fist to bump knuckles with Daxter. The ottsel laughed nervously and touched his knuckles with his friend's, considering the one thing that the hero might not be able to handle.

Daxter yelled and dove off of Jak's shoulder just as a wrench came flying through the air, hitting the racer in the head. The blonde cursed and grabbed the side of his head, growing angry with himself. He had just finished his race with Kleiver and there were some damages to his car—minor ones, but damages nonetheless. When his ottsel friend mentioned that Keira would not be fond of the idea of them racing unofficially, Jak simply said that they would be done before the mechanic woke up and Daxter would make sure to keep her distracted from going into the garage while Jak repaired the car to the best of his ability.

The plan clearly failed.

"Why in the hell would you just take this out on the track without letting me know?!" Keira yelled as she picked up her toolbox and threw it at Jak. He caught the box and placed it down, only to be hit with a can of car wax. Hiding behind the car's wheel, Daxter screamed, "I told you it was a bad idea, Jak! Didn't I tell you?!" The moment Jak turned his attention to his best friend, Keira walked over to him with her fists clenched tightly at her sides before pulling back and punching the blonde across the face. Caught off guard by the attack and the sheer power of it, he fell to the ground wide-eyed. Jak and Daxter looked at one another with surprise at Keira's strength before the ottsel slid back into hiding once the angry woman was close to her childhood friend. When she pulled her fist back again, Jak closed his eyes and held up his hands to block, but then lowered his hands to see that she was simply staring at him.

"You could've been hurt, Jak," she said quietly to him, "You could've gotten killed." The blonde stood up and hesitantly placed his hands on her shoulders. Feeling her skin against his fingertips, he felt a pang of guilt from not remembering how soft she was. "I'm sorry, Keira. I didn't mean to make you worry." The woman lifted her head to meet his eyes. Just as Jak closed his eyes and began to lean in, she placed her palm against his face and pushed him away.

"It's not about me—it's about the team! Did you forget that you'll all die if you don't win this!" she said quickly before walking over to the closet and opening it. "Now get out of here so I can get to work. You're in the way." Jak stood in the same place, his hands still holding the air where her body once was. Daxter slipped out of hiding and climbed up onto his friend's shoulder before patting his cheek. "C'mon, lover boy. Let's get outta here before she snaps again." The duo left the garage. As soon as they were gone, Keira covered her face with her hand and sighed.

"I just can't do it. Not yet."

Jak and Daxter walked back into the bar to see the rest of the team seated around the television. Once he was near everyone, Jak folded his arms as he watched G.T. on the screen.

"I love this sport! Last year alone, racing brought in more cash than Kras City's entire yearly budget." Blitz leaned towards the camera with a large, content grin. "Now that's big! Believe it or not, it can get even bigger! I mean, with the right imagination" Daxter, who had become bored within the first two seconds of Blitz's speaking, grabbed a nearby bowl of cheese curls and began eating them as the broadcast continued. "I'd like to see laws passed forcing the sport to be shown on multiple channels, maybe broadcast it in school for the kiddies." G.T. got in one last wink before Jak picked up the remote and switched off the television.

"Seems like everybody's got a stake in this thing," he said as he waved his hand. Rayn frowned as she retorted, "Well, we certainly do." Daxter paused from his indulging to hold up the cheese curl as he added, "There's a ton of money swirling around this sport!"

" And where there's money…" Torn said before looking to Ashelin. She clenched her fist and grimaced as she turned towards Rayn and Jak. "There's crime." Jak pressed his index finger down against the counter as the rest of the team turned their attention to him. "I think Krew's playing us, but against who…" He lowered his eyes in thought. "I don't know."

At that moment, Sig and Ark came into the bar. The green-haired bodyguard took his place beside Rayn, who folded her arms and looked away from him, soon shoving his hand off of her shoulder when he tried to rest it there. Sig placed his hand on his hip. "Well, are we ready to race, cherries?" Ashelin looked over at him and grinned.

"Why else would we be here if we weren't?" she replied. Torn placed his hand on her hip and nodded at Sig. "We may not have a choice in the matter, but we're going to show this syndicate what we're about." With that, the team nodded before heading out of the bar, leaving only Ark and Rayn behind. The bodyguard sat down on a nearby stool as he pulled out a cigar and tucked it between his teeth before reaching for a lighter. The dark-haired woman began pacing as he lit the cigar and took in a swift inhale of the toxins, soon exhaling the smoke out of his nose.

"It's a miracle that I can keep up this charade. That brother of yours seems smarter than he looks. Even that big-breasted bitch seems to be onto what's going on," Rayn said angrily as she continued pacing. "This entire situation makes me even more nervous." She bit her thumbnail as Ark removed the cigar from his mouth and tapped the ashes into the tray that was on the counter.

"Jus' keep ya cool now, Raynnie. They're startin' ta figure things out, but it ain't like they'll figure ev'rythin' out in a day," he reassured her. Just as she paced in his direction, he reached out and wrapped his arm around her waist before pulling her over to him. "An' don' you worry yer pretty lil' head now. Yer doin' a great job. I jus' wish you'd be a sweet heart more often." Rayn scowled and pushed herself away from the man.

"Oh shut up and come on. I have to take care of this conference call while they're racing. It'll only be a matter of time before Mizo is out of the way and this town will belong to the Krew family again." With that said, Rayn walked out of the bar. Ark rushed out of his seat and grabbed his cigar as he chased after her. It was at that time that Keira looked up from her place in the corner of the bar. She considered the information she heard before getting up and leaving to return to the garage. Even if Rayn was a different person than she pretended she was around everyone else, she was poisoned like the rest of them.

**BD: Aaaand, done! I was going to throw in another scene, but changed my mind. Guess I'll do that the next time around. Hope you enjoy! And what is Keira up to?**


End file.
